


BrokenTale: Tales of a Broken Underground

by FirecrackerTNT



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: BrokenTale (not the gross one), Female Frisk, Undertale AU, but some 3rd person writing too, mostly 1st person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2018-10-26 18:10:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 50
Words: 122,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10791978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FirecrackerTNT/pseuds/FirecrackerTNT
Summary: (Story also on DeviantArt! More updates there! Also, credit to SketchyGarden on DA for help with the title!) Frisk, a young criminal, is trying her best to survive on the streets along with her large gang. One day, while running away from authorities, she falls down Mt. Ebott, into the world of monsters. Merciless at first, she kills all who stand in her way without a second thought, until she meets Papyrus. She tries to kill him too... but Papyrus fights back, and wins the fight. This encounter changes everything.Papyrus must try and teach Frisk how to care about other living beings, while Frisk, and everyone else in the underground, is tormented by Frisk's past mistakes... until the underground breaks.(Notice: There's no canon ships in this fanfic, aside from things like Dogamy/Dogaressa. Though, feel free to tell me who you ship in this AU, and in general, what you think of it!)(Also, the comment section affects the story greatly. I'll explain more in the notes of the first chapter!)





	1. The Fall

**Author's Note:**

> IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY:  
> Hello, guys! >w< This is my first AO3 story, so I hope you like it .w. I have literally no clue what I'm doing. BrokenTale: Tales of a Broken Underground (known simply as 'BrokenTale' on DeviantArt, and yes, I'm also 'HummingKitten' on DeviantArt) has been around for well over a year now, and only now am I posting it here. Because of this, at the time of writing, there's 44 chapters on DA and 0 here (this'll change soon obviously). Because of this, well, the comments play a /very/ important role in the story. The commenters get multiple chances to shift the story how they wish. Because of this, I actually can't plan ahead for the majority of scenes, since the commenters can change everything, no matter how small their comment may be. You guys won't get an option to actually change anything until like, chapter 44-45 or something (depends), but when you do, it'll be at the very end, and it'll look, for example, like this:
> 
> (What should ___ do?  
> A) -Insert option 1 here-  
> B) -Insert option 2 here-  
> C) Other ((comment below))
> 
> ((Also the first few chapters here and on DA look a bit different, just because I'm updating my writing for the A03 version for the first few chapters. First impressions and all that. Writing style has changed))
> 
> Ok, now we should be good to go. Enjoy!

Footsteps thudded rhythmically through the cave, the sound echoing off the cave walls, ringing back into the criminal's ears. Heartbeat racing, the sound of her own footsteps was nearly drowned out by her own heart, until both sounds were cut off by the loud screaming and wailing of adults behind her. 'Where are they?' The murderer thought, slowly growing more panicked as time ran out. The gang of criminals she belonged to were nowhere to be found. 'They said they'd meet me here!' Her legs slowly grew weaker as she ran. Despite this, her agility and gracefulness remained, as she breezed through the cave, not tripping once. Despite the screaming chorus of voices that chased her growing quieter, she wouldn't take a chance. She couldn't turn back now. Growing weak, she called out to her three closest friends. "STANLEY! ASHLEY! JENNIFER!" She screamed. Out of breath already from running, she had to hesitate, before calling for her most trusted leaders next. "MACKENZIE! RYAN! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Despite her clawing fear, the young thief wouldn't dare cry. Her hands dug into her nails as she thought. They promised. They promised to be here. So where were they?

 

A voice snapped her out of it. "There you are, you little-" The girl didn't even flinch as foul language was shot her way. She heard it on a daily basis. Or, more like an hourly one. "You will pay for this!" The delinquent turned her head towards the enraged woman. The woman who's child the killer had murdered without much of a thought. Under normal circumstances, the girl wouldn't have killed the child. In fact, she would have left him alone. Though, that was a hard thing to do when the child threatened to call the police and ruin your plans.

 

Now unaware of her surroundings as the chorus of screeches grew closer, closing in behind the woman to join her, their guns ready to fire, the wicked human bolted, her gaze still focused on those who followed her.

 

This is all it took for her to lose her balance, and fall.

 

Realizing what she'd done, she tossed her knife, not wanting to stab herself upon landing. Yet, when she looked down, she could only see a dark abyss, with no sign of ever escaping.

 

All she could feel was hatred. Betray. Sadness, maybe.

 

No regret.

 

\---

 

A beam of light shining down on the young girl, it bathed her in a warm, sun-light glow. Golden flowers hugged her sides, somehow protecting her from a seemingly impossible to survive fall. Eyelids fluttered open, though she was scared to move. Wasn't she supposed to be dead? "... Not what I was expecting." Frisk breathed, slowly forcing herself to stand up. Despite all odds, there were no new scratches on her body, no broken bones, no bruises. It was as if she never fell at all, as if she had been here the entire time.

 

Frisk tried not to think about that.

 

The room that Frisk wandered into next was dark, with only a small beam of sunlight lighting up a single patch of grass, where a single, golden flower bloomed. She never did find flowers beautiful, so she hardly gave it a second thought.

 

Until it moved it's head up to face her.

 

"Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the flower!" 

 

The human froze in her tracks, her jaw unknowingly open as it stared, disturbed, at the apparently talking, living flower.

 

"You're new to the underground, aren'tcha? Golly, you must be so confused!" He cooed. "Someone outta teach you how things work around here," He continued, "I guess lil' old me will have to do! Ready, here we go!"

 

As if on cue, a red, cartoon-ish heart, glowing with determination left Frisk's body, much to her horror and confusion.

 

"See that heart? That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being!" As he spoke, Frisk thought. As she thought, the SOUL moved. Frisk silently commanded the heart to go here and there, and the SOUL followed. Frisk wondered if her SOUL listened to her thoughts, or even was her thoughts itself. Frisk didn't exactly understand. "Your SOUL starts off weak, but it can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV." He smiled, adding thoughtfully, "What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE, of course! You want some LOVE, don't you?"

 

Frisk frantically shook their head. They begged their legs to run, but they couldn't move. Despite this, Flowey continued, as if he didn't notice.

 

"Don't worry, I'll share some with you!" With a wink, a little, white, star-shaped piece of magic flew into the air, quickly fading away. "Down here, LOVE is shared through little, white..." He seemed to be almost wincing to himself as he spoke the words, "'Friendliness Pellets'." White orbs surrounded him. "Ready? Get as many as you can!"

 

On command, Frisk's SOUL glided carefully away from the orbs shot at her.

 

Flowey's eyes narrowed. "Hey... buddy... you missed them." A low chuckle sounded from his presumably non-existent throat. "Let's... try again."

 

Again, Frisk's SOUL avoided every attack with no problem.

 

The flower's expression slowly shifted, turning from an impatient smile to an annoyed frown. "Is this a joke? Are you braindead?"

 

Frisk, despite her fear, allowed herself to snicker at the comment.

 

"RUN. INTO. THE. BULL-" The flower erupted into obviously fake coughs, before correcting himself with a, "FRIENDLINESS. PELLETS."

 

Growing tired of the flower's yells, for her own amusement (and possibly her own safety), she dodged them once more.

 

His face shifted once more, though this time, it was unnatural. His eyes blinked, and as they opened, his black eyes had small, white slits, presumably acting as a pupil of sorts. Though, it was likely for show, as Frisk figured the flower could see just fine before this. His mouth seemed more... jagged, yet it reminded her of a snake. "Ah... you know what's going on here, don't you?"

 

Frisk flinched.

 

"You just want to see me suffer..." He snarled.

 

A nervous giggle came out of the human's mouth.

 

Those white, glowing orbs he called 'friendliness pellets' perfectly surrounded the human's SOUL, slowly growing closer and closer. "DIE!"

 

Until they stopped.

 

The flower looked almost confused, until he turned and saw the monster approaching. Though flames tried to reach him, as if he expected it, he bolted out of the way just in time, and he fled further underground.

 

How did he flee if he's a flower? ... Hell if Frisk knew.

 

The air around the young human seemed calmer, as with wide eyes, she looked up to the warm welcome of the monster walking into the light where the flower once was.


	2. Welcome to the Underground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk falls into the Underground...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I haven't updated at a long time, apologizes for that! Of course, like the last chapter, it'll be different than the DeviantArt version. The same things will happen, just more detailed and updated writing? I'm going on vacation very soon, so I'm going to try and update this a bit. Remember, the DeviantArt version is already at Chapter 47. I'll speak more in detail about why that matters on the chapter it starts to have an effect on the story, but remember, on the DA version people would comment and their comments could change basically everything that happens in the story ^^ Again, I'll give more detail when it's starts to matter. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

The monster, tall and poised, stepped into the light where the flower once was. Crimson eyes stared down at me, so welcoming and warm. Her purple dress seemed worn, though still beautiful. A symbol I didn't recognize was on the front of her dress. She stood upright, yet having an overall goat-like appearance. Her white fur looked quite fluffy, and little horns poked out from the top of her head. Despite this, she did not have hooves. She had paws and claws, and I think I saw a tail for just a moment, waving back and forth.

Her expression turned to a slight frown as she looked away, murmuring, "What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth." For a moment, I thought she meant I was torturing Flowey, but that feeling quickly turned to shock as she looked at me with such sympathy. "Do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins." That shock faded into something more like amusement at her description of me. A innocent child.

My blank expression didn't change as I thought about how wrong she was. I didn't want her to know what I was feeling.

"I pass through here everyday, to see if anyone has fallen down." She began to explain, "You are the first human to come here in a long time."

Realization dawned on me. I knew many humans seemed to disappear on Mt. Ebbot. Did they end up here, like I did? I felt uneasy.

"Come! I will guide you through the catacombs." She offered, beginning to walk further into the darkness, heading towards a door. "This way."

Despite my unwillingness to follow, I slowly began to realize there was nowhere else for me to go. Begrudgingly, I followed the creature.

As the shadow of the Ruins loomed above me, I was filled with determination.

"Welcome to your new home, innocent one." Her warm smile returned, though I didn't smile back.

No one has ever called me that. Not even strangers. I realized quickly this monster must know nothing at all.

Continuing through the Ruins, she continued to speak. "Allow me to educate you in the operation of the Ruins." With a smile, she walked over to large switches on the floor. She pressed some of them down, but not all. An old door creaked open. Still smiling, she lead me through the door. "The Ruins are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys. One must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourself to the sight of them."

As I continued to follow her, my eyes caught sight of a sign by the door. It read,

_Only the fearless may proceed_  
Brave ones, foolish ones  
Both walk not the middle road 

I hardly spared the message a second thought.

As we continued, the goat monster taught me how puzzles worked. They were laughably easy, to the point I quickly began to grow annoyed with her. She praised me for the smallest things like I was a toddler. She had me do the easiest puzzles, like I was in some sort of pre-school. Press a switch here, move over there. Don't press a switch over there, even though it's broken and can't move anyways.

My anger gradually began to rise.

As we came upon a dummy, she began to explain to not attack monsters, and how I could get out of a fight by talking. I figured she was just telling me that, because she was afraid of me hurting her or another monster. At that point, I was too mad to care. Imagining the dummy was some imaginary person even more annoying that her, I attacked. Punches flew, and every now and then I'd practically claw at the dummy, until stuffing surrounded the dummy, falling onto the floor.

After all, it's just a lifeless dummy.

Not daring to see Toriel's response, I continued on silently. 

The next room, some sort of spike puzzle. As I approached it, a frog monster jumped up behind me. Surprised, a grabbed a stick on the floor and shoved it away, then proceeding to whack it a little too hard over the head. It fell into a pile of dust.

Too distracted with the spikes, she didn't notice a thing. I dropped the stick, which now had dust on it, and quickly caught up with her. Carefully, she lead me through the spikes. I could have figured it out myself, though. The path was the same as the pattern on the floor of the last room. I noticed that, but I don't think she noticed that I noticed. Noticed?

Perhaps she noticed my anger, or maybe she realized something was off, and in the next room she politely asked if I was alright with being alone. I nodded quietly, and she commented how she was sure I'd pass that test anyways, so surely it wasn't necessary. Whatever test she was talking about, I was glad I could skip it.

After that, she gave me an old cellphone, explaining that I could use it to call her at any point. Though, she warned me not to leave the room, or at least, not go any further.

Waiting patiently for her to leave, the new path filled me with determination, with leaves and sticks along the walls, as if guiding my path and giving me a weapon to use at almost any point.

Grabbing a sharp-looking just in case, I continued on my journey.

Along the way, another frog-like enemy appeared. Just like the last one, I whacked it over the head, even harder than last time. It fell to the ground.

Spotting a room behind me, I decided to turn around and investigate. There was a bowl, full of something that looked like candy. The sign read to only take one, but I took a handful and placed it into my pocket. I accidentally knocked the bowl over in the process, shattering the bowl while candy spilled onto the floor.

I quickly fled the scene. Nothing to see here. Nothing at all.

As I continued on through the Ruins, more and more monsters appeared. More and more of which I fiercely slayed.

Further and further I progressed through the Ruins, slaying any monster I came across, and completing any puzzle put in front of me. I found a ghost, and scared it off. I bought food from spiders, then tore down their web.

I felt like a fox in a chicken coop. It was just... so easy. I began to find it fun.

I began to hunt them down.

I found a ribbon, it's color fading and old. I found a small little knife, which replaced the stick that threatened to break.

I continued to hunt them down, I chased after the monsters that stood in my path.

Until eventually, nobody came.

Realizing dust was covering me, I knew I'd have to do something, as Toriel would notice. I backtracked, finding a little stream. I washed off any dust from the ribbon and toy knife. I buried the stick under leaves. I tried to wash my clothes as best as I could, then did my best to dry them. Changing back into the damp clothes was uncomfortable, but I figured I'd just tell Toriel I fell into the stream because I was attacked by a monster if she asked.

My hair, though, was completely dry. Realizing this, I got just the ends of my hair into the water. I didn't want to be completely soaking, and my hair would dry fairly quickly.

As I continued my journey, familiar footsteps walked towards me.

I realized with panic that she told me not to leave the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the chapter! Sorry it was quite short.


	3. Toriel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk wants to leave the Ruins

I froze. I couldn't run back- if she did, she'd see all the dust and realize what I'd done. Considering the fire magic I saw her use earlier, I didn't want her to find out.

Even if I did run, my phone began to ring in my pocket anyways. Upon hearing the ring in the same room, behind a large tree, she ran over to me, hanging up the phone. "How did you get here?" She asked, her eyes wide.

Quickly she grabbed my shoulders. "My child, are you hurt?" She asked, fear in my her eyes. Quickly, I pushed her away.

"I'm not." I grumbled cautiously. "Just fell into the stream."

"Oh, your poor clothes! And you're hurt, I can tell! Hold on..." Her paws began to glow green, and suddenly, all I could see that that bright green. It surrounded me.

Then, I heard the sound of fire.

But it didn't touch me.

The flames traveled around me, circling me. I could feel my clothes getting warmer, but it I didn't feel the heat on my skin, and I didn't breath in any smoke. That green magic protected me, making me feel no pain at all.

Soon, I was fully healed, and my clothes were, at least mostly, dry. I couldn't help but wonder how that actually worked... but I figured it must be how that fire and green healing magic worked. The fire magic, I could tell, was different than normal fire.

"There me go." She smiled. Looking behind her, she sighed. "Well, I suppose I can't hide it any longer. Come, little one." With warmth in her eyes, she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that I was a murderer.

Yet... I couldn't help but wonder. She was the only monster around her who didn't try to attack me on sight. Perhaps she was lonely. So lonely, she blinded herself to reality.

...

I chose to believe she was just dumb.

Following her, I soon entered a comfy, warm, peaceful house. Yet, I couldn't relax. She'd find out about what I did to the other monsters soon. I couldn't go back now.

A smell suddenly filled the room. "Do you smell that?" She giggled. "Surprise! Butterscotch-cinnamon pie!"

Hesitantly, I commented quietly, "... I've never had that before." I paused, before adding, "Sounds... good." It was food. Food is good.

"I thought we may celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here, so I will hold off on snail pie for tonight." For a moment, I almost didn't even process the fact that she said I was living here. Admittedly, I was distracted by the thought of snail pie. It sounded weird, but if it was food, I was willing to, at least, try it. Of course, though, I did eventually realize it. Living here. She expected me to... live here? In her home? I was a total stranger...

That monster was planning something. I knew it.

Despite her outwardly kind appearance... I couldn't risk it. I wasn't going to die to some goat-lady.

I was going to get out of here.

"Here, I have another surprise for you." She lead me into a room, which she then explained was mine. I made my way over to the bed. Thankfully, Toriel left. I climbed onto the bed, not realizing how tired I was until then.

Before I could stop it or wake myself up, I was suddenly asleep, as if someone had hit me in the head with a bat or stick.

In the morning, my eyes shot open. I expected the worst, as I never intended to fall asleep. I practically flew out of the bed, crashing to the ground, blankets still wrapped around me.

The room was dark... and a slice of pie was placed in the middle of the room in a little container. It looked freshly-made.

Nothing else.

Just a slice of pie.

Somehow, I managed to fit it into my pockets. It was a small slide of pie. The pie itself must be very small, too. The container was so tiny, I fit it into my pockets with ease.

Walking out of the room, I found Toriel, seated on a large chair that looked big enough to be a throne. Admittedly, it looked very comfy.

"Up already, I see?" She smiled upon seeing me. "I want you to know how glad I am someone's here! There are so many old books I want to share!"

I tried my best to pay no mind to her words. She must know more than she's letting on. She doesn't want me here, and I don't want her here.

"I want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot! Oh, I've also prepared a curriculum for your education!" She paused to giggle, "This may come as a surprise to you, but I've always wanted to be a teacher! Oh, well, maybe that's not too surprising."

Shut _up._

I don't care about your bug-hunting spot. I don't need to hear whatever you're trying to teach me. I don't care that you want to be a teacher.

She was lying anyways.

"Still, I am glad to have you living here." She must've saw my troubled look, as she continued with, "Oh, did you want something?"

"... When can I go home?" I asked softly. I tried to look innocent, though I doubted the act would work.

She seemed... confused. Maybe a little hurt, and for a second I almost believed her. Until I reminded myself that she was merely a decent actor.

"This... this is your home." She spoke, seeming slightly nervous now. "Would you like to hear this book I'm reading? It's called '72 Uses For Snails'. How about it?"

Well, now she's just ignoring me. My voice raised, I asked firmly, "How do I get out of the Ruins?"

"How about an exciting snail fact?" She spoke fast as her nervousness grew. "Did you know snails have a chainsaw-like tongue called a radula?"

"How. Do I exit. The Ruins." I practically snarled at her, my eyes glared coldly.

"I'll be right back!" She practically bolted off. I ran after her, yelling angrily.

"Hey!" I shouted. "Get back here! How do I get out of here?!" As my anger grew, I growled, "Get back here!" As she looked back, fear was clear in her eyes.

I was glad. Maybe this monster world wouldn't be so bad after all. These weren't like the monsters I'd heard in stories. These monsters were weak.

They were completely powerless. And I was completely in control.

Suddenly, she slowed.

"... You wish to know how to return 'home', do you not? ... Ahead of lies the end of the Ruins. A one-way ticket to the rest of the underground. I'm going to destroy it. For your sake. No one will ever be able to leave again. Go to your room."

I wasn't going to be trapped here forever. I wouldn't let her.

"Every human that falls down here meets the same fate." She growled. "I have seen it, again and again! They come. They leave. They die. You naive child, if you leave the ruins... they... Asgore... will kill you. I am only protecting you, do you understand?"

I wasn't going to let some goat lady protect me. I didn't need anyone to protect me.

"Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning."

I don't care.

Finally, we reached the door. I don't think she was thinking for her own safety as she looked up at it, eventually sighing, "You want to leave so badly?"

"Yes."

"Hmph. You are just like the others. There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself. Prove to me that you are strong enough to survive."

Before she even finished turning around, I ran forward. I aimed carefully... and drove the dull knife into her fur. Again. And again. And again.

Until finally, she fell to her knees. "Y-You... really hate me... that much?" She whimpered. She lowered her head, a laugh slowly leaving her voice. "Now I see who I was really protecting by keeping you here... not you. But them!" She turned her head up back to face me. Her eyes were wide with pain and grief.

I looked away.

As her body crumbled to dust, her soul was left behind. It shook, and I reached forwards to grab it...

But her soul shattered as well.

I walked through the doors, filled with determination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP Goatmom


	4. Sans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk meets Sans, and has a brief encounter with Papyrus.
> 
> (Note: Ok, well, I'll explain the whole comment-choice on chapter 48 or 49. 48 is done on DA, won't work on 49 until this is fully caught up ^^ So there'll be a lot of updates coming in the next couple weeks, hopefully!)

There was a long, dark hallway, leading to another set of doors. Silently, I made my way through. I took my time, perhaps to take a moment to proudly acknowledge my strength. These monsters were a joke! I killed all of them, even the so-called "guardian of the Ruins" with ease.

I felt like the queen of these deserted Ruins. Though, would I be a queen if there were no monsters left to rule? ... Maybe I ruled over the dust? It didn't matter either way.

It was easy as child's play. I'd have to make the game more interesting, wouldn't I?

Passing through the heavy doors, I found myself greeted to another dark room, with light shining through a crack in the ceiling, just barely bright enough for me to see the golden flower ahead of me. Allowing the doors to close behind me, I stepped forward.

The flower couldn't help but laugh, yet I wasn't 100% sure why.

"You're not really human, are you?" The golden flower chuckled. "No, you're empty inside. Just like me! In fact..." He paused, carefully observing me. "You're... Frisk, right?" He grinned. "We're still inseparable, after all these years..."

What... was he talking about? I've only known Flowey for... what, a day at most? With no clue what he was talking about, I took a step back.

"Listen. I have a plan to become all powerful. Even more powerful than you and your..." He hesitated. "Stolen soul." He chuckled.

Stolen soul? I thought about this for a moment. Did he mean... he was confused why my soul was that of a human's, even though he didn't think I was?

I didn't understand.

"Let's destroy everything in this wretched world. Everyone, everything in these worthless memories... let's turn 'em all to dust!" The flower let out a loud, joyful laugh.

Then, he was gone. Vanished into the ground below, likely to pop up again when I least expected.

Yet, I still was confused. He spoke as if... he knew me, from years ago? He said I had a stolen soul? And... he wanted me... no, us, to kill everything in these 'worthless memories'. He spoke as if we were friends. He spoke as if I... remembered something that I didn't.

No. That couldn't be right. Did he confuse me for someone else? ... It seemed unlikely, considering he referred to me by my name, Frisk.

I let out a low sigh. Maybe he was just as messed up as I was, and was just joking around. Maybe even more messed up than I was, if he was being serious.

Choosing to decide that that's all it was, I finally exited the Ruins. A rush of cold air hit me, causing me to shiver. All I had was my shirt, shorts and shoes, really. No boots, no jacket, not even a sweater or hoodie. I sighed, quietly hoping the rest of the underground wasn't like this.

Yet, I couldn't help but be silently amazed at the snow that fell around me, and the snow beneath my feet. Where did the snow come from? Looking up, I could only see the top of the cave, with snowflakes seemingly coming from somewhere I couldn't see.

Maybe it was magic.

I walked along the path forward, occasionally seeing my breath for just a moment. I heard the snow crunch beneath me, occasionally sounding like an echo, like someone walking at the same pace as me. Yet, whenever I heard it, it was just for a moment, and no one was there.

Stepping over a large branch in the road, I continued going, shivering from the cold. It felt like someone was watching me... but I couldn't see a single soul.

Then, I heard a snap.

Startled, I spun around, looking at the broken branch behind me.

That branch wasn't broken before... but no one was there. Not even a sign of footprints.

I began walking faster, telling myself that I was only doing so to keep warm in the cold weather. Finally, I came across a bridge. It had bars, yet they were too wide to stop anyone.

I tried to walk through, but I felt myself freeze in place as I heard a chuckle behind me, with quick footsteps approaching me.

Fear growing, I was aware of my heart beating faster, telling me to run.

But I didn't. I knew I was in control here. This monster would be no problem for me to fight if I needed too.

Despite that, I also did quite like feeling fear. Even though I knew I was in control, fear made the game fun.

"Human." His voice was quite deep and intimidating. "Don'tcha know how to greet a new pal? Turn around... and shake my hand."

Slowly, I turned around to face the creature. He was... surprisingly around my height, just a little taller. Which I figured was rather small, especially if he was fully grown. Clearly a skeleton, he was rather big-boned, and he had a wide grin. He wore a warm-looking, yet stained blue jacket. He wore black shorts, and... pink slippers? He held out a hand, covered my a mitten.

Reaching out to shake his hand, I heard a strange noise. He just laughed. "Hehehe... the old whoopie cushion in the hand trick. It's ALWAYS funny!" He claimed. I merely stared back. An awkward silence passed. "Er... that's your cue to laugh. Or... uh... emote at all?" He chuckled nervously. Muttering something under his breath, he then sighed, saying, "Ok, that's fine. Everyone's got their own sense of humor." He shrugged.

My sense of humor seemed to be this grinning idiot meeting his grave. Now, that's something I could make interesting. But how would I make it into a joke? Could I make a pun out of it? I decided to wait to kill him. I wanted to be creative with his death, somehow.

Besides... he seemed pretty stupid. Maybe I could get information about this place first... not like he'd suspect anything.

"I'm Sans! Sans the skeleton." He introduced himself. "I'm uh, actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now. But, y'know, I don't really care about capturing anybody."

Ouch. That could be the last mistake you'll ever make, buddy. Then again, I won't kill you now, just in case.

"Now, my brother, Papyrus? He's a human-hunting fanatic." He chuckled.

I made sure to remember that. I knew who my next target was... this idiot's brother. Seemed like a good enough challenge, if he was indeed a human hunter. Then, I guess Sans would be... sans a brother? ... Sans is, uh, without in French, I think.

His brother would be dead.

My sense of humor is great.

"Hey, actually, I think that's him over there?" He looked into the distance. "I have an idea. Go through this, uh, gate-thingy. Yeah, go right through! My bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone."

I already noticed that. But thanks, I guess?

Nearly pushing me through the gate, I quickly kept walking. "Quick! Behind that conveniently-shaped lamp!" He pointed to a lamp, oddly shaped like a human about my size... not trusting it, I didn't move.

"Uh, ok... you don't have to, I guess?"

A much larger skeleton walked up to us. He was very tall, and his bones seemed much thinner, giving him a skinny appearance, despite having no flesh. If you disregard the... rather odd outfit he wore, he actually seemed almost intimidating.

Good.

"Sans! Have you found a human yet!" He yelled, seeming to ignore, or maybe just not notice my presence.

"Yeah." Sans answered nonchalantly.

"Wowie!" The larger skeleton grinned, his eyesockets widening a bit. "Guess that's settled!"

His voice was so. Annoyingly. Loud. Perhaps it would've been intimidating if he were addressing me, but now it just sounded painful. I almost considered covering my ears.

With that, he laughed and ran off, seeming rather content that a human was in this snow-filled place. Perhaps even proud of his brother? It was hard to tell.

"That worked out, huh?" Sans chuckled. I simply kept walking, until he spoke again. His voice was quieter. "Hey, I'll be straight-forward with ya."

"I'm listening."

"My brother'd really like to see a human. So, y'know, it'd really help me out... if you kept pretending to be one."

Flowey's words echoed in my mind as I wandered away from him. Quietly, I wandered the forest, killing monsters for fun as I went. I counted 16 monsters.

16 kills.

Would I be called a serial killer? Would it even count, considering how pathetic these beings are?

Either way, I felt stronger. Proud.

Alright, human-hunter. Let's play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the short chapter! I'm basing the chapters off of how I wrote them in the original DA version, so even though the writing is updated, I'm still ending the chapters at the same places as where I ended them in the DA version so there isn't a different # of chapters for each version <3


	5. Puzzles Await!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Puzzles n' stuff! :D

Cold wind blew around me, yet I continued on.

No one would notice the trail of dust I left behind. The snow would hide it well.

The dust on my clothes, too, could be seen as snow. Still, though, I tried to shake some of it off. That method proved... ineffective.

Slowly, I made my way through the heavy snow, my curiosity stopping me in my tracks to listen to a distant conversation. Not able to hear it well, I slowly crept closer as they spoke.

"So, Sans? When's the human showing up?" The tall skeleton asked impatiently. "I want to look my Sunday best! Or, at least, my Tuesday pretty-good." He boasted.

"... don't you only have one outfit?" The smaller skeleton questioned, with amusement.

The taller skeleton, who I should mention has no hair because he's a skeleton, shrugged and replied, "Well, yeah, but I could style my hair!"

The two skeletons laughed, and one of the two brothers answered simply, "Oh. Right. Good idea!" Upon noticing me, Sans looked back towards his brother, motioning in my direction. "Say, why don't you look over there?"

Cautiously, I prepared myself for a fight.

The two of them turned to me, then to each other again, then back to me, and... it went on like that for a while. At one point they might've even spun around.

Finally, they turned around and whispered to each other for a moment, until finally turning to face me again.

The tall skeleton spoke loudly, his face proud and full of determination. There was something almost cartoon-y about it, yet still rather intimidating. "Human! Prepare yourself! For high jinks, for low jinks! Dangers, puzzles, capers, japers! And," He grinned, "being captured! And other sorts of fun activities!"

I stood my ground, unmoving as I stared back. Yet, I couldn't help but wonder. Was he truly a good human hunter? What would happen if I were to be captured?

Unsure exactly what I was up against, I was cautious.

"Refreshments will be provided... if you dare!" With a laugh, the human hunter ran off.

I tried to show no emotion, though I was curious. Was he... actually trying to taunt me? I almost laughed, yet doubt still creeped into my mind.

Quickly, I shook off the thought. No, I've killed nearly every monster I've seen thus far. Just not the two brothers or Flowey, yet, but I wasn't planning on sparing them.

I'd be fine.

Through all these thoughts, my face still stayed emotionless. "And you don't even bat an eye, huh?" The lazy skeleton commented, before following his more energetic brother.

Silently, I followed them through the snow, though soon found myself taking a bit of a detour when I noticed a sign that said boldly, 'NO MOVING.'

Seeing that I had to move to continue, I paid the sign little mind and continued on my way, until I saw a dog-like creature. As I walked toward him, he snarled. Remember the sign, just to see, I froze.

He seemed confused.

I moved my arm, and he looked at it.

I stopped moving my arm. He seemed lost.

Interesting... can he only see things that are moving?

As if to answer my question, he began speaking, mostly to himself. "Did... something move? Was it my imagination?" Glaring directly at him, he began to shiver. I'm not sure if it was because of the cold, or my piercing, threatening gaze. "Can't stop shivering all of a sudden..." He murmured quietly to himself. His voice then raising, he barked, "Who- who's there?!"

"Me." I jumped forward, using the tough gloves to punch him in the stomach. He yowled in alarm, not expecting an attack.

I'll spare you the details, but the fight was over quick. He soon faded to dust.

My journey through the snow-filled world was rather dull, and it's hard to remember every detail. I killed a young bird-like monster, who didn't like his own jokes. Destroyed and ate a living snowman to regain my health. Had some trouble sliding around on ice.

Finally, I heard Papyrus yell. Again, I listened to the conversation as I headed over. "You are so lazy!" Papyrus complained. "You were napping all night!"

Sans replied what I was thinking. "Isn't that called... sleeping?"

"Excuses, excuses!" Papyrus shot back. Though, realizing I was there, he quickly got distracted. "Oh-ho, so the human arrives! In order to stop you, my brother and I have created some puzzles! I think you will find this one quite... shocking!" He laughed.

... Shocking? ... Was I going to get electrocuted?

Carefully, I walked forward, a grin on my face. Upon seeing that I wasn't being electrocuted, and the perhaps worried look on the skeleton's faces, my grin widened.

I knew right then, that I was in control.

Papyrus chuckled nervously. "F-For you see, this is... the... invisible..."

A silence passed, as Papyrus thought.

"U-Uh..." Papyrus stammered. Then, humming thoughtfully, "You must be having culture shock. You see, where I come from, it's a loving tradition! To suffer through horrible puzzles for no reason!"

I was... unsure if he was being serious. If he was joking, I wanted to laugh. If he was serious, I wanted to kill whoever started that tradition.

I walked forward, until I stood right in front of him. My grin grew wider. I've found that this scares people. So, I of course wanted to scare a monster.

"So... uh... just walk back there, and..." Papyrus let out a defeated sigh, while Sans glared at me.

The tall skeleton's anger growing, he turned away, muttering something under his breath before stomping off, seeming quite stressed.

Sans looked... surprisingly disappointed as he turned to me. "It would make my brother happy if you played along."

With little intention of listening to him, I slowly followed, only barely paying attention to the events in between until I encountered them again, my focus completely on them. Mostly the taller skeleton.

Despite how defeated he looked before, he seemed now, once again, full of determination. "Human!" He called. "I hope you're ready for..."

(A cliffhanger. Blame past me for ending the original version of the chapter here -sigh-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is chapter 5.  
> This, however, is chapter 5.  
> Surprisingly, this is chapter 5.  
> Oh look! It's chapter 5.  
> Unbelievably, it's chapter 5.  
> What's this? Is it really chapter 5?


	6. The Gauntlet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk makes her way through Snowdin Forest, and... well, the gauntlet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Fun Fact, I almost wrote the whole chapter in 'chapter summary' instead of 'chapter text' until the site was like 'no stop what are you doing')

"... Sans? Where is the puzzle?!"

Sans pointed to a single sheet of paper, slightly hidden by the snow in front of me. "It's right there, on the ground. Trust me, there's no way she'll skip this one!"

I skipped it. Well, to be specific, I walked around it, until I was directly in front of Papyrus once again.

"SANS!" Papyrus yelled, loud enough to make me flinch. "That did nothing!"

Seeing his brother's annoyance begin to turn into anger at me skipping the useless 'puzzle', Sans calmly replied, "Whoops. I knew I should've put down junior jumble instead."

"Junior jumble?" The tall skeleton seemed surprised. I thought he was going to yell again, but instead, he simply smiled and chuckled, "Finally, something we can agree on!" With a small sigh, yet still in a slightly better mood than before, he walked off, likely heading to another puzzle. I followed him, ignoring Sans' glare.

Along the way, I found a plate of spaghetti. I almost walked right past it... almost. But, then, I hesitated. I hadn't eaten in quite some time. I hadn't realized until now, but I was quite hungry. Starving, even. I stared at the spaghetti, tempted to eat it... but I figured that it must be a trap. No one would leave spaghetti out in the open if it wasn't a trap.

Besides, the spaghetti was cold. And probably terrible.

There was a note there, but I didn't bother to read it either. After all, maybe it wasn't the spaghetti itself that was a trap. It was me stopping to eat and/or read the note, delaying my progress.

... A funny thought, really. Not sure why I'd even consider someone doing that.

Not bothering to think to hard about it, I continued walking.

Along my path, I eventually ran into a sign, reading,

_DOG MARRIAGE_

Confused, I rolled my eyes, and kept walking. Soon, though, I found something interesting. It looked like the remains of an already completed puzzle? One switch was tangled and depressed, held down by vines. I was confused, where did these vines come from? Call it deja vu, but it felt like I knew the answer. This whole situation seemed somewhat familiar to me.

Down the path, I realized the puzzle must've been to hold down what looked like a spike puzzle. Taking the opportunity, I quickly ran past, jumping over where the spikes would have been just in case they, for whatever reason, shot up again. Thankfully, they did not.

"What's that smell?" I heard an older male's voice, and crunching in the snow near me. I turned around to face two hooded figures.

"Where's that smell?" Said the other, a female's voice. Though they stood on two feet, they looked dog-like. It was hard to see their face from underneath their clothes.

"If you're a smell..."

"Identify yoursmelf!"

Was that a pun?

The two ran in circles around me, trapping me. Eventually, they came to a halt beside me. I froze, looking at their huge weapons: axes.

"Hm... here's that weird smell. It makes me want to eliminate..."

"Eliminate YOU!"

With loud barks and snarls, they rushed towards me, axes ready to attack. Panicking, I used the tough gloves to punch one of them, the male.

"Let's kick human tail!" The male dog snarled, and in response, his mate wondered aloud,

"Do humans... have tails?"

With magic, they seemed to summon two small dogs- one for each of them. As they barked, hearts of different colors shot at me. Some blue, some white. Carefully, I managed to dodge the white ones. Remembering the fight against the other dog, I knew to stay still to avoid the blue attacks.

I decided to focus on fighting only one of them, so I attacked the male with everything I can. I knew the female was hesitant to attack or swing her axe, as she would risk hurting her husband as well.

Both were nearly powerless to stop me.

Finally, the wife managed to land an attack on me. It cut through my shirt, causing a scar just above my hip. It wasn't very deep- she couldn't afford to swing as hard as she could, in case she hit the other dog.

But she was too careful.

Her husband faded to dust.

Yowling with rage and grief, her careful attitude changed completely, now swinging blindly and wildly, howling loudly. "I'LL CHOP YOU IN HALF!" She roared and cried.

She was much harder to kill. She even landed a fair amount of blows on me, blood staining my shirt and the snow below. She raised her axe with full intent to murder me. I didn't exactly blame her, but that didn't mean I chose mercy. I could almost see fire in her eyes. I knew she was on a warpath.

"Kneel and suffer!" She howled loudly, continuing her enraged attacks.

With determination and several hits, I won the fight.

Nearly completely covered in dust, I tiredly continued on my way, passing through... more than one already-solved puzzle.

I couldn't help but wonder who solved them. If they left them unsolved, at the very least they might have more time to run away. Yet, they just... let me through. I wondered, why let me pass so easily?

Eventually, I found the two skeleton brothers once again. "Hey, it's the human!" Papyrus exclaimed, upon seeing me. "Human, you're going to love this...." I walked half-way through what appeared to be where the puzzle was. I'm not sure exactly what it was... but I saw some sort of machine behind Papyrus. "P... puzzle.... are you serious?" The tall skeleton stared at me.

He was slowly becoming less and less intimidating with each puzzle I skipped.

I smiled back at him.

Papyrus turned to his brother, muttering something to him with crossed arms. I didn't hear the first part, but I heard the second. "They're supposed to let me explain them... then threaten and baffle with with dangerous japes."

"Maybe they don't like japes?" Sans wondered.

"Everyone likes japes!" Papyrus shot back.

"What about Undyne?" Sans tilted his skull. "Doesn't she hate japes?"

"She loves japes! She hates puzzles." Papyrus corrected.

... I guess I'm like this 'Undyne' lady, then? I don't like that many japes either, though.

"That makes sense." Sans murmured sarcastically. What was he talking about? It made perfect sense!

Papyrus turned to face me. "Human, what do you think? Puzzles or japes?" I was silent. "Uh, ok, this is where you either agree or disagree, and depending on your answer we say something great in response?" He commented, waiting for an answer. Eventually, though, he simply shook his head. "Why don't you try this puzzle yourself?" Tossing a piece of paper onto the ground, he once again left.

I picked up the paper, though it was nothing but scribbles and... what looked to be something written in a code. With no idea what it meant, I put it back down and kept moving. After all, it might be considered a puzzle if I try and solved the code.

"Hey, puzzles might be fun if you tried them!" Sans mentioned, though I didn't acknowledge that I even heard him.

I let out a sigh, tempted to stop. The bleeding seemed to have stopped, but I was still tired and in pain. Still, though, I continued on, sliding on the ice and going through a snowy tunnel. At the end of this tunnel, I tripped, falling a decent amount. I landed with a painful thud.

Quietly, I let out a pained, muffle growl into the snow.

Looking up, I realized Sans stood beside me. He must've seen me fall. "What's up?" He asked. "Certainly not you... anymore." He laughed.

I growled at him, slowly getting up. Curious of this alternate path, I kept walking, my head down.

Lifting my head, I saw Sans in front of me. I blinked in confusion. He somehow got past me without a sound? I turned around. Sans was also there. Panicked, my energy seemed to temporarily return as I bolted my way back up, to continue on the path I'd left. Finally, I found several piles of snow, and managed to collect some money from one of them.

In the final pile of snow, I saw... a tail? Cautiously, I walked over, preparing a fight if necessary.

A small, white dog popped it's head out of the pile of snow.

... It almost looked... kind of cute. And completely dog-like, not monster at all. I was only trying to kill monsters, not animals, so... I figured I could leave the dog alone.

Until it's full body emerged, revealing a large suit of armor, a spear, and somehow being way taller than me.

Nevermind then, this thing was a monster.

Thankfully, despite the suit of armor, it didn't take long for me to knock it down and kill it.

Finally, I came across... a bridge. A long, unstable bridge, overlooking a fall I'd never survive, a fall straight into frozen water and ice. I could swim, but I couldn't escape something like that, should the bridge snap. Or what if a gust of wind moved the bridge somehow?

I noticed the two skeletons waiting for me at the other side. Were they waiting for me to get on? Would they destroy the bridge?

There was nowhere else to go. This was the only way for me to get to the rest of Snowdin this way. Besides, I refused to show fear or defeat in front of these skeletons. So, I stepped onto the bridge, holding on carefully to the ropes at the sides. I walked quickly, looking ahead at the end up the bridge, trying to get this over with as soon as possible. I tried as hard as I could to show no fear.

But my legs shook and trembled, and as much as I tried to hide it, my face showed signs of worry. I held onto the ropes for dear life.

"Human!" Papyrus announced, "This is your final and most dangerous challenge! Behold, the gauntlet of deadly terror!"

I froze. I could see things surrounding me. Flames, spears, a wrecking ball... a dog.... I wanted to run towards them and just skip this puzzle, but as much as I silently screamed at my body to move... I couldn't.

I looked down.

I made the mistake of looking down at the fall below.

I was completely paralyzed, aside from my legs that only shook with fear, but refused to move forwards, or even backwards. My eyes widened. I didn't look back up at them. I couldn't.

"When I saw the word, it will activate!" Papyrus exclaimed proudly. "Canons will fire! Spikes will swing! Blades will slice! Each part will swing violently up and down! Only the tiniest change of victory will remain! Are you ready?"

No... no I'm not ready.

I'm not ready at all.

One part of me yelled to run away. The other part yelled that I wouldn't be able to continue, and I should run forward. Both of the voices in my head screamed, begging me to make a decision.

But I was frozen.

"Because I am about to do it!"

There was a pause. I closed my eyes. The bridge was going to break.

But nothing happened.

Sans looked up at his brother. "Well? What's the holdup?"

"Holdup?! What holdup?" Papyrus replied sharply. "I'm... I'm about to activate it now!"

There was another pause. What was going on? Is this some sort of torture method? Making me wait painfully for my own demise?

No, no I had to! I had to run! I had to escape! Why can't I move?! I needed to run forward, I'd made the decision. But I couldn't... move.

"That, uh, doesn't look very activated." Sans commented. I could've sworn, for a split second his eye glowed.

Finally, I was able to move. I took a step forward, my hands still clinging to the ropes. From suddenly moving, I tripped, though still on the bridge. Carefully, I sat down on the bridge, still clinging to the ropes. No longer could I hide my desperation. I must've looked pathetic.

"Well... they're probably going to walk through it." Papyrus murmured. "It won't be fun at all."

Yes... exactly! I'm going to walk through it! Forcing myself to move, I stood back up and shakily moved quickly towards them both.

I ran off the bridge, forcing myself to laugh as if it wasn't a problem at all. My legs still shook, still scared despite getting off the bridge... finally, I ended up falling into the snow. I continued to laugh, as mean and proudly as I could, trying to make them forget how completely useless I looked on the bridge.

It was almost, truly funny. A murderer of too many monsters to count... afraid not just of the puzzle that wasn't even activated, but the bridge the puzzle took place on.

Sans glanced at his brother. "This human thing was a bust, huh?"

Papyrus murmured back, "Well, I'm still excited to capture them." They spoke as if I wasn't there. ""So I'll become a famous royal guardsman! Yet... all the time I put into these puzzles... it's kind of like throwing a birthday party..." Papyrus' voice was quiet now.

I didn't feel pity. I continued to silently listen to their conversation, unmoving in the snow, sitting away from them.

""Exactly! It's pointless!" Papyrus yelled. "Maybe you were right to be lazy about puzzles..."

"Me? Right about something? ... reeaaallllyyyy?" Sans asked, seeming quite amused.

Papyrus smirked. "Yeah, what am I saying? You're still completely wrong!"

The two brothers laughed.

Somehow... some part of me felt... like I was missing something. I assumed I just felt lonely without my gang by my side, as cruel as they could be sometimes.

I wondered if they missed me.

Papyrus continued to speak. "Guess I just have the wrong audience. Think about how much fun Undyne would have here! Flames, spears, and violence. It's right up her alley!" I think Papyrus glared at me, but I wasn't looking at him. "I won't waste this puzzle on you. I just have to appreciate the friend I already have! A valuable life lesson, nyehehe!" Papyrus ran off, running past me, once again ready to continue, despite everything. Slowly, I stood up. I was pissed. I let myself show weakness. Over what, a puzzle they didn't even activate? I was going to kill him. I was going to kill him.

Sans walked forwards, until he was beside me. He winked. "Guess we didn't need your help to have a good time after all! Though... it was quite funny to watch-"

If looks could kill, he would be dust. Still though, I wanted to kill his brother first, then him. For the sake of the terrible, terrible pun. 

He closed his eyes, and let out a sigh. "Say, I've been thinking... seems like you're gonna fight my brother pretty soon."

I nodded cautiously, muttering, "I assume he's going to fight me, so yes." That wasn't completely the truth. Either way, the human hunter was going to die.

He chuckled. "I'll give you some advice, kid."

I tilted my head, confused.

He closed his eyesockets, looking away. "Y'know... if you keep going the path you are now...." He looked back at me, his eyesockets opening to reveal complete darkness. It seemed like the world around me just... froze. I heard nothing. Nothing moved.

He spoke slowly, and clearly.

"You're going to have a bad time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trust me, the chapters afterwards will start getting much more detailed, I just sorta breezed through Snowdin both here and in the original version, since, well, you know what happens if you've seen the geno route up to this point? Trust me, the writing gets better later :'D Thanks!
> 
> Also, I know in the actual game, the bridge is actually some rocks Papyrus painted to look like a bridge ^^" But in this story, it's an actual bridge, to better demonstrate some of Frisk's character I guess.


	7. Snowdin Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (THIS IS A SUPER SHORT CHAPTER FORGIVE ME. There was a reason the chapter was so short here was because there was a comment-related decision at the end of the chapter :P)
> 
> The human prepares to fight the human hunter...

Sans was gone.

I stayed and stared at where he used to be for a moment, before tiredly making my way into what seemed to be a ghost town. No one was outside, and the lights were all off.

At the entrance, there was a sign reading:

_WELCOME TO SNOWDIN_

Silently, I opened the door to what seemed to be a completely empty shop. Noticing a note on the counter, I silently read it.

_Please don't hurt my family_

Silently, I jumped behind the counter, stealing all the gold I could. It was almost routine at this point, just... easier, considering there was no one to stop me. Still, though, I stayed alert, aware someone may be hiding somewhere in the store. I found a bandanna, and wrapped it around my neck, covering my nose. At least my nose was warm, now. I decided to take off the faded ribbon- No one would fall for a cute act now, and the ribbon was already mostly destroyed anyways from fights. I tossed it onto the ground.

Cautiously I moved around the store, searching for other items. Finding some bandages and other items, I wandered into a closet in the store to keep myself hidden in case anyone came in. While most of my wounds had stopped bleeding, it still hurt, and there was probably infections. Carefully, I managed to treat every wound that I could, and hide it in bandages.

I noted the bandages must be made of magic. They didn't heal my wounds right away, of course, but I did feel much better, though tired. Slowly I made my way through the store, collecting food on my way out. As tired as I was, I refused to sleep. Too risky, especially since I hadn't seen much of the town yet, and I probably had several monsters hunting me down by now.

I walked into the inn next. I thought I saw a young monster behind the counter... but it was merely a decoy, so I left.

Continuing through the town, I only stopped again when I spotted a monster. He was about my height, reptile-like (though stood on two feet), and armless.

I couldn't help but give him a weird look. Why was he still here? Was he stupid?

"Yo... everyone went and hid somewhere." The kid informed me, "Don't try to look for them. Undyne will kill you." The kid began to walk off. "Yo... I hope that next time I see you... your guts are outside of your body." He hissed. "And if not, that'll be your fate. I'll make sure of it." Proudly, he walked off, leaving me at a loss for words. I didn't expect a child to say something like that, with such anger. Most of them just screamed and cried.

I smirked a little, before going back to investigate the town. I looked carefully through every unlocked house, but no one was there.

At the end, I found a wooden house. It looked... warm, though no one was inside. There were two mailboxes, one full of mail, the other completely empty. I tried to get in, but I couldn't find a way in without causing a ton of noise, so I continued on. Silently, I made a mental note of the shed beside the house. A small shed, seemingly locked from the inside.

Finally, I began to walk out of the town, searching for a warmer place where I could possibly sleep. Fog quickly fell over the area, blocking my vision. The further I went, the worse the fog became. The wind howled in my ears, and I felt desperate to keep walking. Surely the whole underground wasn't like this. The Ruins wasn't like this. I could find shelter if I kept going. If I stayed still or gave up, I'd freeze. There had to be an end to this.

Suddenly, I tripped, falling face-first into the snow because of a rock I couldn't see. Shivering, I quickly stood up and wiped the snow off my face. It felt hard to move. While the forest and Snowdin were decently cold, this was something else.

I felt like I was going to die.

I tried to run through the snow, desperate to find the end, but I simply ended up getting snow in my shoes.

Maybe... I should go back. Surely there was something in the village to keep me warm?

Though, looking ahead... I realized it was too late, seeing a familiar silhouette in the fog, watching me silently.


	8. The Human Hunter's Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk, the human, faces Papyrus, the human hunter, in battle.
> 
> Again, short chapter, blah blah blah shhh
> 
> Don't know why the chapters used to be so short ew
> 
> Well, actually I do, it was because of the whole comment-decision thing on the original DA version, but y'know the drill by now right?
> 
> ALSO REAL QUICK
> 
> Shoutout to Kuroda and MasonMac! They both left a kudos on my work! (Also MasonMac commented on the last chapter! :DD)
> 
> Thanks so much, both of you! *huggles*

A cough escaped my lungs, and I could see my breath in front of me. My arms wrapped around my sides, snow trapped in my shoes, I felt like collapsing into the snow and curling up in a ball.

But I knew I couldn't.

I now regretted coming here, or at least, coming here without finding warmer clothing. With the snow all around me, it felt as if I'd never find the end.

Maybe the silhouette was the end.

I turned around, but I could no longer see the village through the merciless snow.

Squinting, I slowly trekked forward, until I knew for sure who exactly the silhouette was.

Papyrus.

The human hunter.

"HALT, HUMAN!" His voice seemed to echo around me, seeming so much louder than usual. I covered my ears, just now realizing that I was losing feeling in them. I shivered, my teeth quietly chattering involuntarily.

It felt like agony to take another step forward, but I did. I felt like I had to.

"Quit moving while I'm talking to you!" The human hunter shouted, unmoving from his position. I stared up at him, trying to make out an expression, though I couldn't see his face. "First of all, you're a freaking weirdo!"

I chuckled softly, I couldn't help it. Was that the best he could come up with? Even in my miserable state, I found it somehow amusing.

"Not only do you not like puzzles, but... the way you shamble about from place to place..." Papyrus voice softened, for just a moment. Then, his voice rose again, much louder than before. "The way... your hands are always _covered_ in _dusty powder!_ " His voice seemed to crack, from his tone it was hard to tell if he was more angry, or grieving. I guess it was both, it was impossible for me to tell.

He took a step forward.

He sighed, looking away for a moment, before taking another step forward and looking me in the eye through narrowed eyesockets. His tone was now quieter, yet disguised and angry. "I'm not dumb. I know what you're doing. I know what you've done. You're a disguising... thing... can I even call you that?"

With a forced grin, I laughed. "Most humans call me a monster."

The skeleton flinched.

"I care too much about this place to let you, whatever or whoever you are, destroy it. However..." His face softened slightly, as well as his tone. "I know a way to fix this. Please... let me help you."

Papyrus is sparing me.

I prepared to fight.

"You're making a bad choice, h-human. I know you're freezing. I won't kill you... but the cold might. Just... turn back, and let me help you! We-"

"Get out of my way." I snarled.

"No!"

Gathering all of my energy, I managed to run forward, my heart pounding so loud I could hear it through the storm and my frantic footsteps.

The hunter effortlessly moved behind me. "You're up to your ankles in snow! You don't even have proper shoes! I want to spare you!" He pleaded. Again, I attempted to attack. "But... I can't. Haven't you seen the trail of dust you leave behind as you walk?!" He asked. "Stop fighting!"

I emitted some sort of low growl, a tired warning for him to back off.

He didn't even react.

I knew I'd have to win this fight... anything he claimed about wanting to spare me was a lie, so he could just kill me with less effort. He wouldn't let me go. I couldn't go forward, I couldn't go back. I was trapped here, with the human hunter. I needed to kill him.

I'd always been taught to use my surroundings to my advantage. There had to be something I could use. But there seemed to be nothing, aside from endless snow. I couldn't just... wait for him to freeze. I'd die first, and I was fairly sure that Papyrus didn't even feel the cold. Or, if he did, it didn't bother him much.

I had to keep moving. If I didn't, I'd freeze. So, I rushed towards him once again, and he quickly fired magic attacks, in the shape of bones. What would you call that? Bone magic? Did it have a specific name? Either way, I managed to dodge them. It was clear he wasn't trying that hard... but it still took most of my effort to dodge them. I wish I had some way to attack easily... something to throw at him.

_Use your surroundings to your advantage._

I grabbed a piece of snow. It was so cold, it felt like it was burning through my hands. Everything here was unnaturally cold.

Yet, I waited for the perfect moment. I waited for him to run forward, aiming an attack at me.

And at that moment, I ran towards him, and threw the snow at this eyesockets. For just a moment, he stumbled. That moment was just long enough for me to tackle him to the ground. I attempted to attack, but I was very quickly kicked off, thrown into the snow. I learned the hard way he had a powerful kick for a being with no muscle. I was barely able to catch my breath, before he aimed another attack. Unable to dodge, each attack was more painful than the last.

Again, I tried to throw snow, but the snow was carried out of my hands by the powerful wind. Distracted, he managed to attack again.

"And now, for my fabled 'blue attack!" He shouted. Hadn't... hadn't he already used a blue attack? Or did I see it wrong?

However, the attack wasn't what I suspected.

My red, powerful soul, felt heavy. It... turned blue. Everything felt... heavy. As if gravity dramatically increased. Every movement was more tiring and more painful.

It felt like I was dying.

Papyrus stared down at me, maybe expecting me to say something, or fight. "What are you looking at?" I spat.

Attacks shot from the ground, forcing me to jump with what felt like the weight of the world on top of me, slowly suffocating me.

"Tell me, how high can you jump?" The skeleton asked, a bit smugly. As he said this, several bones, the size of me, quickly rushed towards me.

I dodged two. I was hit by all the others- I didn't bother to count.

Frantically, I grabbed a tiny bit of food I'd stolen earlier, and ate it. It didn't warm me up at all, and everything still felt heavy. Yet, somehow, it helped me feel a little stronger.

With the cold rushing around me, I was on my hands and knees in the snow, trying desperately to get up and continue fighting. I had to. I had to kill him.

Yet, so badly, I wanted to just... lay in the snow. Let myself sleep, with the snow embracing me. Sleep would be amazing right now.

But, I managed to convince myself to keep going.

Papyrus held his head high. He didn't appear damaged at all.

At this rate...

No. NO. I wasn't going to let myself die to some TOY. These monsters were NOTHING. Nothing but toys! I killed so many of them easily. I wasn't going to let this loud-mouthed bother of a skeleton be my demise!

With an enraged screech, I shouted, "I'm the one in charge here, skeleton! If you think you can stop me, you're wrong!" With a new strategy in mind, I once more ran towards him, my limbs screaming at me to stop. Once more, I grabbed snow and tossed it at him. Quickly grabbing a large piece of ice, with all the energy I had, I threw it at his skull. It shattered on impact against his skull.

It worked.

He was finally injured.

Not dead. Not even close. But he was injured. Dazed, hopefully. This was my chance.

I would kill him.

Time seemed to slow, as I raised one fist to prepare to attack, the other aimed to push him over.

Yet, somehow... my plan had failed, hadn't it?

Using his magic, he didn't even have to touch me to throw me with all of his strength into some ice. My head collided with it, breaking through the ice. What sounded like thunder echoed in my ears as I was shoved into snow, the ice clawing at my neck, making it near impossible to get out without further injuring myself.

Thankfully, there was no water. The ice must've been from a small puddle by the river, perhaps.

At first, I was confused, completely unaware of what just happened. I attempted to get free, ice scrapping against my neck. My back was against the snow, my head tilted back, stuck.

Panic growing, I began to nervously shuffle, at one point attempting to weakly punch the ice, though it was difficult. I tried to move my body, but the ice around my neck prevented me from adjusting to a more comfortable position.

Everything was dark. Snow and ice covered my face. I tried to cough, to move, anything. I could barely breathe.

I screamed.

I wanted- no, needed to escape.

I needed to survive.

"I WILL SURVIVE!" I screamed... no... pleaded, to no one.

The cold around my frozen ears whispered:

_Just sleep._

_It's useless to escape._

_Just take a little nap. Regain your energy._

_Sleep, with your blue heart as cold as stone._

_Sleep, surrounded by the snow white as bone._

_Just sleep, fallen human._

_Sleep, the fight in done._

The human hunter, the one who's scarf was red as blood...

had won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just because he won... doesn't mean the story is done.
> 
> After all, fights shouldn't have to end in death.
> 
> Also, the last part was actually inspired by a little poem I made. If I remember correctly, it went like this:
> 
> 'Red as blood  
> White as bone  
> This blue heart  
> Is cold as stone'
> 
> I also mentioned the poem in another story I wrote, which I won't post here.
> 
> I always intended to make a picture based off of this poem, but for now, this is all I got :'D


	9. How to Save a Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know the drill by now.
> 
> Also I was originally going to call this chapter 'locked away' or something simple, but the end of the chapter got the song 'how to save a life' stuck in my head so
> 
> ALSO notice for the next chapter in case I forget to say it, in the original DA version I accidentally skipped chapter 10, and called it 'chapter 11' instead. I don't want to change the number of each chapter, though, so people can easily find both versions of the chapter, so I won't be fixing this mistake ^^ Just letting you know in case you guys are confused!

As sleep pulled me closer, I desperately tried to stay awake, fearing for my life.

Snow covered me like a blanket, with ice holding my head in place. Exhausted, my arms weakly reached out to weakly claw at the ice, to no avail.

I had given up. My eyes closed, I waited. I could hear the wind howling around me. I heard footsteps crunch in the snow, walking away from me. Leaving me to die, I assumed. Maybe I deserved it. I tried not to think about it too much, in what I feared to be my final hour.

Through the wind's song, I could hear Papyrus talking to someone. My tired mind barely even considered he might be talking on the phone. I simply curled up, whispering a plea of mercy. If I were awake and strong, I'd rather die. Yet, I was so close to death, I didn't know what I was saying.

Everything hurt.

My muscles ached, exhausted and weak, unable to continue. My ears, my fingers, my nose, my toes, I couldn't feel any of them. I could hardly move my arms or legs.

The ice around my neck felt as if it was burning. Burning away at my flesh.

My mind snapped. With a sudden rush of desperation, I screamed. While I was cold as snow, it felt like lava piercing through my skin, burning me alive. I screamed, and screamed, until my lungs no longer had any air left. I waved my hands near the neck around my ice and shifted my body, attempting to free myself in my pathetic state.

Through my screaming, I didn't hear Papyrus carefully whisper to the mysterious monster on the phone. I didn't hear him hang up with a sigh. I didn't hear him come closer.

Until he was standing right above me.

I wailed, and he waited. Terrified, I didn't know if he was waiting for me to die. I didn't know if he was going to kill me himself, just to get me to stop screaming. Or, maybe, he was going to kill me to avoid me somehow surviving if he left.

My screams began to blend in with the wind, as my determination faded away.

I stopped.

I stopped moving.

I stopped screaming.

I stopped listening.

I stopped feeling.

I stopped caring.

I thought my heart would stop, too.

But it didn't.

The human hunter carefully touched the ice for a moment, observing it, before suddenly shattering it. I didn't even flinch. I'm not sure if I even realized I was free at that point.

I was lifted out of the snow, held tightly by a monster. I managed to emit a weak, growling sort of noise from my throat. I attempted to speak, but I'm not sure if I managed to or not. I don't even know what I said, if I said anything.

The skeleton stayed quiet. Despite everything, he appeared rather calm. Holding me tighter, as if trying to warm me up, my head weakly thudded against the odd 'armor' he wore. He used his scarf to hide my face, and began walking away from the cold, not once tripping from the heavy snow, not once faltering because of the storm.

I finally let myself fall asleep.

\---

Warmth.

The first thing I noticed upon awaking, was feeling warm. For a moment, I was blissfully unaware of the events that had taken place before. The terror I felt, the strange burning and freezing feeling, none of it I remembered. I had no clue where I was, but I didn't think about it.

For just a moment, everything felt ok. I was warm, and comfortable, a fluffy blanket wrapped protectively around me, the smell of food nearby, the feeling of safety.

I wished that moment lasted forever. Who wouldn't? It was so peaceful.

But, of course, that moment passed. I could hear the voice of the one who trapped me here... wherever this was. Again, he spoke on the phone, this time seeming a little more aggressive. I couldn't hear the conversation, but I could hear the tone of whoever was on the other line. Whoever it was, they seemed unhappy.

Slowly, I blinked open my eyes, barely moving. Thankfully, Papyrus was distracted, and didn't realize I was awake.

Carefully, I looked around. Some sort of shed, made of wood, it looked like. The floor was a bit hard, but not too painful to lay on. I could hear the wind howl quietly outside, though thankfully, the inside was rather warm. I noticed that, in between me and Papyrus, there were several bars, not unlike the ones I saw by the entrance to Snowdin Forest. Like them, they weren't difficult to get through, though these ones were a little sturdier and closer together. Still, though, I could easily squeeze through them. I also noticed my tough gloves were missing. My bandanna was still there, though.

Then, I found myself wondering where the smell of food came from. The smell was faint, but the food bowl was right beside me, so I noticed it quickly.

Yes, the food bowl. The dog food bowl, more specifically.

Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be anything left but the smell. It smelled a bit like hotdogs.

I frowned.

Did they have a dog? Did monsters think humans ate like dogs? ... Was he calling me a...?

With this thought, I realized what could happen if they had a dog. What if it was a huge police dog? I've seen what those things can do. I shivered at the thought.

It seemed I was going to be trapped here for a while.

Quickly, I made the realization that Papyrus realized I was awake. We stared at each other for a moment, before Papyrus spoke into the phone. It sounded almost like another language.

It sounded... almost familiar. Kind of nice, actually, yet very strange at the same time.

He hung up the phone, and approached the bars of the cage.

Unsure of what was going to happen to me, I found myself backing into a corner of the cage. I growled like a cornered animal.

"Human-"

"Don't speak to me." I hissed, staring at his eyesockets with a threatening glare. Despite my pathetic loss, I knew I was badly weakened from the fatal cold, and the snow that dragged me down. Here, though, it was even. I could still kill him.

I had to show I wasn't afraid.

"I think I have a right to speak, human." Papyrus' voice, still, remained calm. Despite my aggression, he didn't seem scared of me, either.

Admittedly, I was a little surprised.

"Oh, you think you have a right to speak, huh?!" I shouted, trying to intimidate the over-confident skeleton. "What makes you so special? I'm gonna kill you, got that?! I don't care if you took my gloves, I stole those anyways!"

The skeleton took a step towards the bars of the cage.

I took a step forward as well. "Take another step forward and I'll snap your damn neck." I hissed.

"You didn't kill me before, human." Papyrus smiled, a bit smugly. "You won't now, either."

I rolled my eyes. "If I could've killed you, I would, alright? I couldn't then."

"Why?"

"... Why do you think?" I spat. "The storm... held me back. I couldn't then, but I will now. Stop looking so smug."

Papyrus' smug expression turned to a more disappointed one. "Nyohohoh.... I thought you'd be more grateful."

"What are you talking about? Why should I be grateful towards _you_? Pathetic piece of-"

Papyrus tilted his head, seeming a bit more sympathetic as he reminded me of how the fight ended. "I saved your life, human. Remember? You got trapped in ice."

I muttered a curse under my breath. He was right.

I guess I owed him something now.

Well... did I really owe him? I didn't... technically ask him to save me.

Did I?

No, I wouldn't have done that. Either way, this skeleton was a dead man.

"I could've pulled myself out." I spoke confidently, despite myself knowing it wasn't true.

Papyrus shook his head. "I saw you flailing around like a fish out of water. And by that, I mean an actual fish. Not a fish lady. By that, I mean Undyne."

I blinked. "Who?"

"Undyne!" The skeleton perked up and grinned at the mention of his apparent friend. "She's great! She's an awesome cook, leader of the Royal Guard, and a great friend!"

Quietly, I made a mental note of her rank as head of the Royal Guard. Surely, that meant she was very powerful and strong. I'd have to be careful with her.

Just... needed to escape this little shed first, and kill the skeletons too.

"Pffft. Whatever. I could've got out myself, alright?! I owe nothing. This doesn't mean-"

Papyrus shook his head. "Human, I understand your anger. But... I watched you. If I hadn't brought you here, the cold would've killed you."

"But-"

"Human, tell me the truth. Am I wrong?"

I hesitated, completely aware that despite everything I said, everything I wanted to believe...

A monster saved my life.


	10. WHAT HAPPENED TO CHAPTER 10

In the original version, I accidentally skipped chapter 10.

So this is just a placeholder to keep all the chapters correctly lined up :3

Will update a couple more times today! (Chapter 11, Chapter 12, and hopefully chapter 13)


	11. The Shed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OK HERE'S CHAPTER 11 (technically 10 but shhhh it's 11 now)
> 
> Thanks to the mysterious guest who left a kudos on this work <3
> 
> I'll be sure to update 1-2 more chapters today!

I couldn't answer him. I knew he was right.

The skeleton stayed put, not moving backwards or forwards, making me unsure of exactly what he intended. He didn't move forward, so he probably wasn't intending to attack... and he didn't move backwards, so he's not scared. Neutral was difficult to figure out.

Trying to force a reaction out of him, I suddenly ran closer to the bars, stopping when my hands touched them. I could easily pass through to the other side, but I didn't want to quite yet.

Despite what I expected, he didn't even flinch.

"Well? Just gonna sit there and do nothing?" I taunted.

A moment of silence passed. The tall skeleton seemed to pay no mind of my efforts to intimidate him. Realizing this was getting nowhere, I slowly backed away from the bars. "What are you waiting for?" I asked, a bit confused.

Papyrus shook his head. "How did you get here, anyways, human?"

Barely paying attention to the question, I answered, "Hey, subject change! Do you take me for an idiot?"

"Just... answer the question."

For a moment, I was a bit confused. Here? Papyrus carried me here. After a bit of thought, I realize he must've meant how I got underground in the first place.

"I walked here." I snickered.

Cue the literal facepalm. Er... skull-bone?

I laughed.

"Well, then why did you come here?" The skeleton asked.

My laughter turned to a frown, as I began pacing around the room, as I often would when conversations seemed like they were going to take a while. May as well walk around than stand uselessly in one spot. "None of your business, weirdo." I chuckled, trying to get him to drop the topic.

Yet, he wouldn't. With sympathy in his voice, he began to say, "You must've had a reason," but I quickly cut him off.

"I said before, it's none of your business how or why I'm here. I'm here now, that's all." Raising my voice, I shot back, "Why are you here then?"

Papyrus laughed. "I live here, human!"

I let out an annoyed grumble. I mean, he wasn't wrong. Letting out a growl, I got closer to the bars again. "Look, buddy, I can get right through these bars if I want to. Get out."

Yet, Papyrus just took a step forward. Something about his expression... I knew he was planning something. Or, at least, thinking about something. He wanted me to attack him, didn't he?

Unsure, I took a step back. Usually I would've challenged him... but he seemed so unpredictable, I couldn't bring myself to try.

Looking around again, I realized how unsettling this shed was. Almost completely empty, aside from a blanket, an empty dog food bowl, and bars. This place was meant to be a cage. Where were we, exactly? Surely we must still be in Snowdin.

"Wondering why we have that cage?" The monster asked, as if reading my thoughts.

"I would say to keep something either in or out... probably in, since there's literally nothing here... but, y'know, the bars do a bad job of stopping anything." I walked forward, wrapping my arms around one of the bars. "Well-made and strong, maybe, but I can slip past the bars anyways." To prove my point, I swung around the bar I held onto, for a moment outside the cage, then quickly swinging back inside. "See?"

Unfortunately, Papyrus didn't directly answer my question, just a brief nod that could've been a nod to either one of my guesses, or the fact that it was easy to escape. It was hard to tell.

Again, Papyrus changed subject. "Are you hungry?" He murmured.

"Tsk, nah. You'll probably poison it anyways." I coughed, again pacing around the room.

I began to wonder why he kept me in here if I could leave at any point anyways.

"Master Chef Papyrus doesn't poison his food!" The skeleton exclaimed loudly, making me jump a little. "I can't serve people if they're... y'know, sick from the food..."

"You mean dead?" I chuckled. He seemed as if he didn't want to say the word out loud. "Actually, y'know, that's not a bad plan. Pretending you're all innocent, than poisoning me in a brutal way... I know your plans, skeleton."

"N-No! I wouldn't do that!" The monster seemed horrified at the thought.

I simply laughed. "Still acting innocent? Papyrus, it's too late to go back. You wouldn't give me, someone who threatened to kill you food for free, unless you planned to use it against me." I glared at him. "I'm not dumb, skeleton. So I guess I'll just have to make sure you never cook again!"

With that threat, I rushed towards him, effortlessly gliding past the bars of the cage.

As I was about to attack, I heard the door swing open, and my soul turned blue.

I was flung back, my head slamming against one of the bars of the cage.

Head ringing, I stumbled to the ground, blood slowly leaking from the wound. Falling against the wooden floor, my vision was blurred as I tried to crawl away, maybe back into the cage. I could hear the voice of... someone else, and Papyrus scream back at it.

The world spinning, soon I couldn't see anything. Everything went black.


	12. The Feeling of Being Watched

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter's short, gonna add another chapter tonight o3o

It must've been hours later than I finally woke up. Well, I was awake enough to realize I was awake, but still too exhausted to move. My head ached, and I'm sure if I dared to open my eyes, the world would be spinning. Fearful, though, I didn't dare move or open my eyes. For a moment, I tried to listen, but I soon gave up after realizing I had no clue what they were saying.

Soon, I was asleep again.

When I awoke the second time, I again didn't dare open my eyes, but I was now fully awake. Pretending to stay asleep, I silently began listening again, trying to make sense of whatever was going on. I could feel my head, wrapped in bandages. It still stung a bit, but I doubted I was bleeding. Was I bleeding when I first got knocked out? I wasn't sure. I could feel an ice pack on my head, and a couple scratches here and there I didn't notice before. Probably from the fight... how long ago was it? It felt like I'd been asleep for a while.

I tried to remember what happened. I... I woke up in the shed after the fight. Me and the tall skeleton, Papyrus, talked about... I don't remember exactly what it was, but I remembered certain parts of the conversation. I remember not wanting to kill him at first, to get information, and, well, he did save my life. I wanted to wait for a bit.

That was a mistake. I should've killed him before I got myself into this mess.

After all, I attacked him soon after finding out he planned to poison me. Well, he claimed he wasn't... but why should I believe that?

Then, I was thrown backwards. By him? Or by someone else? I could've sworn I remembered the door opening, and two people yelling at each other before I passed out. I must've hit my head bad, I had no clue.

Where was I, anyways? It was warmer than the shed, and it felt like I was... in some sort of bed. I swear I didn't rhyme on purpose. Wherever it was, I guessed I was in a house. Papyrus' house? I wanted to open my eyes and see, but I dared not too.

I could feel someone's gaze. Whoever it was, did they know I was awake? Or were they watching me in my sleep? Who was it? I still didn't dare move, aside from the slow movement from me breathing. I tried waiting for someone to speak, hoping I could find out who it was. Or, maybe it was several people.

It felt like hours, but it was probably only a few minutes later that a door creaked open. Then, I could hear a whisper. A bit of a loud one, but still a whisper. Was that Papyrus' voice? It was hard to tell what he was saying. I thought I could hear words, every now and then... but at the same time, it could've easily been another language.

Surely, then, if it was Papyrus who just entered the room, then he wasn't the one watching me. His brother, perhaps?

After that thought, came another whisper. It was much quieter, and I had no hope of guessing what they were saying. Still, though, it sounded a bit like Sans.

The tall skeleton sounded a bit defeated, as he muttered something and walked back out the door. I could hear footsteps going downstairs... wherever that was. Was he going to a basement? Or maybe I was in a higher level of the house? Assuming this is his house.

I couldn't tell exactly what was going on, or if those two monsters even were Sans and Papyrus for sure, but I knew at least two monsters were nearby, one of them watching me. I'm not sure how, maybe it was just the atmosphere, but it felt like whoever was watching me was staring like a hawk. Every movement noted. Whoever it was, it felt like they wanted to kill me. What would they do if I moved? If I woke up? Would they kill me? Alert other monsters? Capture me, and bring me... where, to the king? To... Undine, or whatever her name was? Would they torture me?

Not knowing felt like torture enough.

For a second, I was hopeful. Maybe they'd just... talk. I knew it was just a hopeful thought, really. They had every reason in the world to kill me. I'd killed everyone I meant, not including the skeleton brothers. Every monster has a reason to kill me now.

After all, if I live, I'll just kill more monsters. It's too late to go back now. If I stop killing, I'll die. It's too late to be a pacifist.

It's too late to go back.

Killing is the only option. The monsters know what I'm doing now. Every monster in the underground must surely know by now. Snowdin Town evacuating proves that.

They'll find me, and they'll kill me.

Mercy is not an option.

With that thought in mind, I needed a plan. I needed to distract them. More specifically, the one watching me, who I assumed to be Sans. But I couldn't distract him myself... he seemed quite intent on just... staring, unmoving.

Maybe I could wait for who was probably Papyrus walk back into the room, and while they're talking... I could jump up and run?

But what if I was trapped to the bed somehow? I hadn't considered that until now... it didn't feel like it, but I was scared to move. If not trapped, what if there was only one exit? One of them could easily block the exit. It was 2 against 1 at best. I just hoped that, against all odds, I might escape.

Yet... I kept in mind, I had bandages and an ice pack. One of them must've put it on. Maybe... I had a better chance of escaping if only that monster was in the room? Or maybe they wouldn't attack me? I guessed it was Papyrus. Either way, if I knew for sure, I could use that to my advantage.

I heard the door open again. Attempting to distract them, I tried to draw their attention to the ice by moving my head just enough for the ice to move slightly off, while still acting asleep.

"... hey kid, you awake?" Without a doubt, that was Sans' voice. So I was correct.

Of course, I continued my act.

"Guess not." Papyrus walked closer to the bed.

Sans' tone turned cautious, and maybe a bit annoyed. "What are you doing?"

"Getting rid of the ice!" His brother answered, likely with a smile I couldn't see. "She should be fine by now, right?"

There was no response, but I assumed he shrugged or nodded. Or maybe he shook his head and his brother simply ignored him, because I felt the ice move away. He walked downstairs again, and closed the door.

I heard Sans grumble something under his breath, but I didn't know what.

Wait, do skeletons need to breathe?

The door opened again. Judging by Papyrus' tone, it seems he'd said this many times before. "Sans, seriously, come here." He must've asked Sans to leave at some point while I was asleep.

"I told you-" Sans began to shoot back, though he was interrupted.

"Can humans walk through walls?"

"...Uh, no?"

"Exactly. She can't escape, so come here."

Annoyed, Sans finally got up, and followed his brother out of the room.

I finally opened my eyes, and looked around. Was this Papyrus' room? I could see a pirate flag, a computer, some action figures... I wondered what a skeleton would think of a pirate flag. After all, there's a skull on it.

I began to wonder about other things. Things that we humans consider normal, children's stories. What would monsters think about these stories? Did monsters know what pirates are?

I slid out of bed, some-what shakily, and stared at the door.

What should I do?


	13. Papyrus' Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaaa sorry! I meant to update last night, but I was so tired and had a ton of stuff to work on ;n; Sorry! D:
> 
> Can't wait for the weekend rip

With enough staring at the door, I managed to talk myself out of wanting to break down the door and run for my life. Too risky, the skeleton brothers were right outside. Probably more monsters out there, too.

Instead, I tip-toed over to a box beside the door, peering inside. It appeared to be... several bones? Wondering why he had a random box of bones, I eventually decided it must be his magic. Why would be bother, though? Deciding I probably wasn't getting an answer anytime soon, I next made my way to the closet. As carefully and quietly as I could, I opened the door, leading to an array of clothes that hadn't been worn recently. Still, though, they were hung up neatly. Nothing interesting about them.

Except...

Above the clothes, was a little shelf. In the shadows, there appeared to be something on top. While I couldn't tell what it was, it might've been a box. Hopefully, there was something in there that could help me get out of here, or even learn something about the skelebros I could use later. That, and the fact I was quite curious. Silently, I walked over to a table beside the bed, which I just now looked at carefully. The bed resembled that of a race-car, and was actually quite nice. Not taking too much time to think about it, I slowly dragged the table, along with the action figures on top, closer to the closet.

Now, if you asked me why I kept the action figures on top... I'm not sure, really. Maybe I was still kind of half-asleep and confused, or maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention. Of course, though, it's me. So I'd defend myself, and say the action figures would take a while to take on and off, especially if I was being careful to put them back in the exact same spot. By that time, they might come backstairs again.

Silent as a mouse and with the grace of a dancer, I carefully stepped onto the table, carefully stepping in between the action figures, all spread out as if arranged to show a carefully planned attack. It started off great. Yet, when I realized I still couldn't reach whatever was up there, my curiosity and determination convinced me to try and just... reach... further...

That was my mistake.

In my attempt to reach the shadowed object, I kicked over a couple action figures while trying to adjust to get closer to the shelf. In my panic, I tripped over my own foot.

Now, with the grace of a cat that just fell into the bath, through panic and desperation I attempted to grab the clothes in the closet, attempting to hold myself up without causing a crash. Instead, of course, I crashed to the ground, ripping the clothes from their hangers, and knocking over several other things on the table in the process. Honestly, I'm just surprised that the table itself didn't fall over.

Panic flooded my mind, as I knew they must've heard that. I tried to run back into bed- maybe to claim that I woke up to the sound of something crashing, or to claim I was sleepwalking, I wasn't quite sure.

Though, when I turned around... without even opening the door, Sans was already there. Seconds later, the door swung open, with Papyrus quickly standing beside him. Did I not hear Sans come in? Or did he teleport? Either way, it wasn't good.

Terrified, I backed into the closet, desperately looking left and right for a way to get out. Suddenly, my gaze landed on a window. Realizing it might be my only chance, I bolted towards it first thing, but was quickly blocked by magic.

Having no escape, I quickly escaped back into the closet. I knew 2 skeletons verses 1 young human wouldn't go well for me, especially considering that Sans was probably the one to effortlessly through me against one of the bars in the shed, and Papyrus had already proven he was a good fighter.

Usually, in a situation where my enemies already know I'm a murderer, I'd never attempt this. Yet... I knew I couldn't intimidate or escape. I just had to hope I could somehow convince them to spare me, just long enough so I could figure out a way to escape.

So, I froze in place, allowing myself to show fear, to show weakness. In my mind, I silently begged for this plan to work. The best I could hope for at this point, is that my little act might make them hesitate for a bit. And, without any kind of weapon, maybe they'll not kill me?

"Human..." The taller skeleton looked at me, then looked up as his now ruined closet. Finally, he looked down at the table, and fallen action figures, then back at me once more. "What are you doing?" His tone held no fear. Maybe even slight amusement.

Sans simply stared, with empty eyesockets and an unreadable expression. I couldn't help but look away.

I opened my mouth to speak, to come up with _something_. But nothing came out. For once, I was completely trapped. Completely surrounded, with nothing I can say to defend myself, and no gang to protect me.

I was completely alone.

"Well?" Sans eventually spoke up, with a tone that send a chill down my spine.

This was it. He was going to kill me.

Growing desperate, I began to search for something I could use to block attacks. All there was around me, was the table in front of me, and the clothes and hangers alike below me. Thinking quickly, I shoved the table over, creating a small barrier between me and the monsters. I pulled the table as close as I could, until the legs hit the wall. As I did so, I tried to reason with myself. Telling myself, why should I be scared of them? They're just monsters. I'd killed so many monsters. These two simply caught me off guard... I could easily kill them now!

Despite everything I told myself, I was hesitant. Attempting to make the monsters hesitate, I backed completely against the wall, curling up into a small ball, and whispering, "P-Please don't kill me!" I almost laughed out how wimpy I sounded. Or, perhaps, was that a nervous laughter?

Papyrus was about to speak, but his shorter brother quickly cut him off, saying, "Just answer the question, kid."

"I... I got curious, ok?!" I blurted out, which wasn't actually a lie. I _was_ curious as to what was up there.

The taller skeleton shook his head. "You shouldn't go through my stuff, human. Not that I'm hiding anything..." His eyesockets stared straight at me. "But I'd really prefer not having dust on my clothes."

Realizing I was sitting on several of his clothes, monster dust still staining my hands and clothes, I quietly crawled away from them, now resorting to cowering behind the fallen table.

Papyrus simply walked closer, now looking down at me. With a growl, I pulled the legs of the table and kicked it, so it now stood back up. Now hiding under it, I sat behind one of the legs of the chair.

Thankfully, Papyrus backed off, but it wasn't like I was out of sight, especially considering he sat down to make sure I couldn't hide from his sight.

Instinctively, I wanted to continue hiding, so I jumped up, head hitting the top of the table. I emitted a hissing sound- the small wound hurt a lot more, considering it hit my still-injured head. I said nothing, though, quietly contemplating- was acting weak working? Was that making them hesitate? Or did they not plan to kill me yet anyways, and it wasn't changing anything? Should I even try to intimidate them? So many thoughts rushed through my head, that when Papyrus broke the silence by asking if I was alright, I angrily hissed back,

"Of course I am!" I quickly bit my lip. Was it a good idea for me to snap like that? Should I continue to try and be intimidating?

In all honesty, I wasn't sure what to do.

"... I kinda doubt that." Sans replied, and Papyrus nodded, a concerned look on his face.

"Why?" I muttered quietly, unable to commit to either intimidation or showing weakness.

"You're crying." They both answered, as if it was blatantly obvious. Somehow, distracted by all these thoughts, I didn't notice the tears escaping from my eyes without a sound. Thankfully, I didn't cry loudly.

Despite this, I tried to convince them that it wasn't as pathetic as it really was, growling, "That's what humans do! It's a natural reaction." Panicking once more, I changed subject. "Why is this even an issue? Can we get to the point? You're gonna try to kill me, aren't you?" I accused, staring directly at Sans as I said this.

Sans simply stared back.

Papyrus shook his head, smiling sympathetically. "Human... I haven't killed you yet, have I? In fact, I healed you. Twice." He pointed out, confirming my previous theory that he was the one who healed me. "Why would I go through all that just to kill you now? You don't even have a weapon." He pointed out, still smiling. My glare shot down this smile like a hunter shooting a bird out of the sky.

"So... what exactly are you planning on doing to me, then, if you're keeping me alive?" I glared at them. I doubted they'd reveal their plans... but it never hurt to ask, right? Hopefully give myself some sort of clue on what they were planning. Torture? Interrogation? "Don't even think of hurting me, or-" I made the mistake of moving a few steps too close to Sans. Using his magic, my soul turned blue once again, and I was thrown back against the table. I let out a scream, a mix of anger and surprise.

Quickly, though, I recovered and observed. Without a second of doubt, I knew Sans was the one who attacked.

Papyrus wasn't happy with him.

I couldn't figure out why. Why did he seem so intent on keeping me alive? Why did he seem so... merciful? Why did he heal me? What was he hiding? _What does he want?_ I couldn't understand. At least Sans was fairly normal... he actually attacked me without showing mercy at the end (I don't count Papyrus stopping his attacks and healing the damage caused as mercy, since Papyrus was the one who did that, not Sans), carefully watched to make sure I wouldn't do anything, and refused to heal me, the human criminal, himself. Sans was normal.

Papyrus was not.

What was he thinking?

"Sans, let me talk to the human alone for a moment?"

Sans looked at his brother as if he were insane. Judging by everything he'd done so far... he probably was.

"Bro-" He began to argue, but Papyrus made it clear he didn't care.

"Sans. Let me talk to the human." He repeated.

I wasn't sure what to think.


	14. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of posting this is Undertale's 2nd anniversary.
> 
> I had a longer message here, but I forgot to save it oops (re-loaded the page by accident)
> 
> Thank you, Undertale. Undertale has introduced me to so many great people, amazing comics and AUs, etc. I've laughed and cried with this fandom and the game. Even when I was sad, Undertale cheered me up or calmed me down. Undertale isn't just a game to me, I guess. It inspired me to write the longest story I've ever written. The only full story I've ever published on the internet.
> 
> So... thank you, again. The game, those who worked on the game, the many amazing people in the fandom, etc. thank you everyone! Undertale has, quite literally, given me determination to keep going, and get better and better at what I love.
> 
> Which is part of why I'm re-doing the older chapters tbh, my writing has hopefully improved quite a bit over nearly 2 years :'D
> 
> O hey chapter length is getting slightly longer this time. That's a good sign :'D

"Papyrus, you've seen what this kid has done." Sans hissed, his voice quiet, yet still full of hushed rage. Papyrus hummed and nodded, while Sans shook his skull in disbelief. "Papyrus-"

The taller skeleton narrowed his eyesockets slightly, unmoving and determined. "Please?" He asked, though I wondered if he was honestly asking, or if he was determined enough to stay whether his brother liked it or not.

The shorter skeleton rolled the lights in his eyesockets, which seemed to flash a bright colour for just a split second while he grumbled in annoyance. He backed up, leaning against the closed door. "I'm not leaving." His voice was clear to all in the room, and Papyrus realized that. Another moment of silence passed, before Papyrus quietly nodded.

I backed up a little. I noticed my breathing was a bit shaky, unsure of what exactly would happen.

"Human-" The skeleton began, but with a growl I cut him off.

"My name is Frisk. Get it right." I snapped at the tall monster.

The monster replied with a bit of an annoyed look, before quickly changing to a more pleasant one. "Alright then, Frisk! I... have quite a few questions, so I'll let you start!" Papyrus offered a smile. "You can ask me a question!"

I frowned, confused. Why would I bother asking? Was it some sort of mask? To make it not feel like I was being questioned? "Why would I care about you enough to even bother asking a question?" I shot back, a grin growing on my face.

"That was a question." Papyrus answered simply, his grin quickly shooting down my own as it turned into a frown.

I growled, "Shut it. I don't care about you. Stop acting like it. I don't even care enough about you to ask questions. I literally care so little, I'm passing up an opportunity to question you. If anything, I want to just kill you to wipe that grin off your face. But, y'know... judging by this whole 'mercy' thing? I think you're too stupid for it to be fun."

Sans whispered something to Papyrus. It sounded like gibberish. Papyrus seemed to just wave it off, ignoring him.

"Alright, if I'm stupid, tell me something 'smart'." The monster challenged, his grin and confidence unfading.

I hesitated, before blurting, "What's smart would be leaving me alone! Have you seen what I've done to some of these other monsters?" I laughed.

Papyrus raised a non-existent eyebrow, still not looking too bothered or concerned, unlike his brother, quietly enraged, disgusted and a bit terrified as he listened to the conversation, and the threats I made. "If I left you alone, you'd be dust by now!" Papyrus exclaimed, perhaps a little sympathetically.

"You... do realize humans don't turn to dust when they die, right?" I questioned.

Papyrus smiled, for just a moment. I realized a bit too late that I asked a question, and I knew that's exactly why he smiled. Thankfully, he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. "I've never seen a human die before..." Papyrus began.

"Well, you're not gonna see a human die. Too bad." I interrupted.

The monster shook his head, again seeming about as distressed and confused when I accused him of attempting to poison me. "I don't want to see a human die! I don't want to see anyone die!"

"Then you're even dumber than I thought."

Papyrus flinched.

"He's not an idiot." Sans finally spoke up, "It's called, uh, being nice. Don't think you've heard of it though." There's that grin again. Wait... have I ever seen Sans not grin? Even when he's threatening or angry? Huh.

"Besides," Papyrus continued, "if you're dead, then we can't talk!" Papyrus spoke cheerfully. Though he's a decent actor, it wasn't too difficult to figure out that he was nervous.

Listening to his words, I got an idea. I just wouldn't talk at all. Attempting to copy the kind of grin they'd make for a moment, I then looked away, staying dead silent aside from my quiet breathing, and maybe a small grumble here and there from a hungry stomach. Food, though, was the least of my worries at the moment. During this silence, I wondered how to escape. Suddenly, something popped into my mind. A story I've heard. Several stories. Haven't I heard of school children escaping boring classes and lectures by saying they needed to go to the bathroom? Having never gone to school myself before, aside from maybe some sort of kindergarten or something when I was young, I couldn't exactly remember, I didn't know for sure how well it worked. With this thought came several other questions. Do monsters use the bathroom? Do they even know what it is? I realized I hadn't needed to use the bathroom since I fell. How does monster food work? How does it differ from the food on the surface?

I noticed the two skeletons didn't bother to try and talk to me. They must've known I wasn't going to answer.

I continued to think of my escape plan. If I tried to run further into the underground, there are almost definitely several more monsters waiting to ambush me. If I went back to the Ruins, I had two options. If I could pry the door open, I could attempt to hide in the desolate shelter until I could think, or find, someway out. If that plan failed, well, at least I killed every monster up to this point. No one would try to stop me. Even if there were monsters that went there to investigate, I was confident I could fight or flee my way out of it. Besides, I'm sure they'd be easier to kill, like every other monster I've encountered.

"You can't be silent forever." Sans finally commented. "You'll get bored here."

Deciding this was my chance, I shifted, pretending to be uncomfortable. "Do... you guys have a bathroom?" Realizing my question could be suspicious, I added, "Haven't seen a single one this entire time. Making me rather uncomfortable, really." Of course, this wasn't true. Monster food must be some sort of magic. Maybe the body just... absorbs the nutrients? Like a sponge? Just my guess.

"A... bathroom?" Papyrus blinked, confused. Sans didn't even answer.

I sighed. "You've got to be kidding me. You guys have bathrooms, right? Washrooms? ... Places to dump waste that's not exactly garbage???"

They seemed even more confused, until Papyrus quietly answered, "Oooohhhh. Those gross things that humans use." The skeleton brothers shivered.

"I'm sure I'd have the same reaction to the concept if I was a being that had no stomach or anything similar." I murmured, not exactly intending to say it out loud, but not really caring that I did. Taking in a deep breath, I growled, "Great. You likely don't understand the urgency of my next question, then." To add to the urgency, I began pacing as if nervous. "Can I... go outside? Somewhere alone. Hidden."

Sans quickly asked, "Is that just an excuse to escape, kid?" Papyrus nodded, as if he was about to ask the exact same thing.

"Nah." I shrugged, shaking my head. "You'd catch up with me anyways. There's no place to go here. Y'know that whole bathroom-concept we were talking about earlier? If not a bathroom, I'd rather go outside than... well, here. After all, your being nice enough not to torture me."

As gross and disgusting as this whole conversation was, I couldn't think of another way to convince them. After all, the monsters knew it was a thing humans did, but didn't know much about it. It was perfect.

Tapping my foot impatiently, I mentioned, "I _really_ need to go."

"Can't you wait?" Papyrus asked.

I glared. "You _clearly_ don't understand how this works, do you? Please. Let me go."

"Follow me." Sans finally murmured.

I backed up. "I don't trust that tone."

"Then follow me!" Papyrus offered, but I quickly shot back,

"Why would I trust you if I don't trust him?"

"Think about it." Papyrus narrowed his eyesockets, and I knew there was nothing I could say. Silently, I followed Papyrus out of the room, with Sans following behind.

Through the house, I quickly observed what I could. I came out of Papyrus' room. The other room upstairs must be Sans' room. Downstairs, there was a couch, TV, an old sock, what seemed to be an argument through sticky notes, and a kitchen that I couldn't get a good look at before I was forced out of the house. After that, I was, thankfully, lead toward the Ruins. I realized I hadn't been to this part of Snowdin before, but I knew there were no monsters here. It was empty, yet trees were everywhere.

"We'll be nearby." Sans warned. "You have 5 minutes. If you're not standing near us by that time, we will find you." Sans threatened, before walking away. Papyrus wordlessly followed.

I patiently waited for them to leave. When they were out of site, I prepared to leave. Turning, I began to run, when a "howdy!" scared me enough to make me jump backwards, though I dared not to scream.

"Huh?! Flowey? Why are you here?" I whispered to the golden-petaled flower, gazing at him with confusion and suspicion.

Using two small vines that emerged from the ground, Flowey seemed to attempt a shrugging motion. "You're trying to escape, aren'tcha?" He asked with a hushed tone, clearly aware of the skeletons nearby.

I narrowed my eyes. "I advise you to..." I paused, before deciding I simply couldn't not make the pun, " _leaf_ me alone. I'm busy." I warned, unsure of what exactly the strange flower wanted.

Flowey nodded, though seemed to wince at the pun. "I will. However, I could be of great use to you. Yet... seems like you don't want my help, so, I'll be gone."

"Wait." I bit my tongue, silently scolding myself for falling for such an over-used tactic. Too late to go back now. "How so?"

The flower smiled. "I'll prove it to you, friend. I'll distract those two..." He pointed his vines in the direction of the skelebros, "and you run. If you go to the Ruins, I'll meet you there!" Without awaiting my response, the young flower fled into the ground, disappearing to hopefully distract the skeletons.

Not seeing any other option, and being highly curious about what he meant, I decided to trust the strange flower who seemed to talk to me as if he'd known me for a long time. I even noticed something. He didn't force me to go to the Ruins, he just casually mentioned, 'if I go'. He didn't need me too. It was like he knew I wouldn't have dared trust him if he insisted that I follow him to the Ruins. How did he know that? Either way, he was gone now. I'd have to go if I wanted an answer. So, I ran. I ran, as fast as my weak legs could carry myself. I didn't think about anything else, aside from running as fast as I could while avoiding making unnecessary noise. After all, I already wasted a solid minute or so talking to that weed. Soon, though, I heard yelling in the distance. At first, I thought they were yelling at me, so I ran as fast as I could.

Then, I realized, no one was chasing after me. The yelling was getting further and further away.

Did Flowey start a fight with them to distract them?

I... I think he did. Not bad.

Quickly, I turned the corner, then looked back. Still no one following me. Looking forward towards the Ruins, though, I halted, my mouth making the shape of an O as I stared up at the Ruins.

The Ruins was broken.


	15. Castle of Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is so short why is it even a chapter
> 
> I mean I guess the chapter is important but WHY DIDN'T I MAKE THE ORIGINAL VERSION LONGER AAA e-e There were so many details I could've added but didn't
> 
> Oh well, guess that's why I'm re-doing it xD Can't wait until we get to the more recent chapters, then I can just copy-paste most of it.

The Ruins were broken.

The outside was cracked, falling apart like glass that had been hit and shattered. The door to the Ruins, I noticed, was slightly open. As if something broke through glass, I could see an opening, some sort of hole. Even if I didn't go through, the door itself was slightly opened anyways, as if someone tried to push the door open but failed, and the door just... stopped before it was fully opened. Seeing nowhere else to go, I held my breath and cautiously stepped inside, my movements quiet and slow in an attempt to prevent anything else breaking. The place looked... unstable.

What had caused this? What happened to this place since I was gone? While I had destroyed the monsters who lived there... I couldn't even hope to destroy the Ruins to this extent if I tried.

Light from Snowdin poured into the dark basement. Knowing the skeletons weren't behind me, I continued to move slowly. The light, pouring out onto the floor and splashing onto the walls, allowed me to see it wasn't just the entrance to the Ruins. It felt like the Ruins itself was shattering, trying to escape itself.

I didn't realize I was holding my breath, until my lungs began to scream at me to take a breath. I did, a shaky breath as I continued to gaze upon the place I left.

Through the cracks from the entrance, light would sneak it's way inside. Through the cracks inside the basement itself, I could see only darkness. I dared not look closer, but it felt like, through every crack, I was being watched. Judged. Observed. Studied.

I was hesitant to walk up the steps. Would these steps even support my weight? Was the rest of Toriel's home destroyed, too? Was everything destroyed? As carefully as I could, I climbed the stairs. I managed to jump most of them, anyways, and land carefully on one of the higher stairs.

Toriel's house wasn't any better. It looked like it had been through a terrible, wrathful earthquake, hellbent on trapping those who lived inside in fear and terror, as everything fell around them. Regretfully, I wasn't able to get a good look aside from that. In the distance, I could hear angered yells coming closer, and soon, footsteps. Swearing under my breath, I forced the exit to Toriel's house open, and fled further into the former home of many monsters.

For a moment, I couldn't help but be thankful that I had killed every monster here. I thought I wouldn't be stopped.

I was wrong.

Turning a corner, I expected not to see a thing in front of me aside from a path I still remembered, so I looked back to make sure no one was close behind me. In that moment, I tripped, falling hard onto my face. Amazingly, the ground itself didn't shatter and break, making me fall endlessly until my demise. Honestly, I half-expected it would.

Stunned and confused about what could of tripped me, I didn't even pay much attention to my bleeding nose as I whipped around, preparing to angrily kick whatever rock just tripped me.

To my horror, it wasn't a rock.

That was... the remains of a Froggit.

A Froggit, broken, shattered, just like it's Ruins home. It wore the same, curious look, as the one I first met, the one I first killed. It didn't expect a thing. After all, back then, I hadn't killed several monsters. It didn't know what to expect.

It was broken, like a monster made of glass and thrown violently into the ground and shattered to pieces, only to be poorly glued back together, like some half-assed attempt to fix what was a lost cause anyways.

Parts of it seemed... missing. Like whoever tried to fix it couldn't find some pieces, hidden in the carpet, ready to attack the next, unsuspecting person to walk through.

Not long after I saw it, staring into it's confused, scared, yet somehow lifeless and hopeless gaze, it began to crumble into dust, as if it could no longer handle or accept it's own, pathetic existence.

I couldn't even begin to ask how or why that thing existed, why any of _this_ happened, before I had to run again, hearing the skelebros quickly following me.

For a moment, I wonder where Flowey was. He told me to meet him here.

It almost reminded me of my gang. The ones who promised to be there.

Was Flowey broken, too?

Did the skeletons kill him?

Without an answer, I kept running, running and running despite my vision getting blurred and my legs beginning to complain. Finally, I saw something that wasn't broken. A rock, surrounded by vines. The vines held it up, like they were asking me to take it. Did Flowey leave that? As soon as I grabbed the rock, the vines retreated into the cracks.

Quickly, I made a sudden turning, hiding in a place that must've been where several spiders hung out before. Cobwebs were everywhere, somehow remaining mostly untouched despite it all. The webs continued to hang on.

Thankfully, the two skeletons both ran past. Once they were far enough away, I dove out from my hiding spot, quickly backtracking back towards Snowdin, perhaps to look for Flowey, or perhaps just because I didn't know where else I could go. Snowdin was bigger. Surely, I could hide in the forest somewhere. But I couldn't hide here.

"HEY! STOP!" I heard Papyrus shout, once he finally found me once again. I ran, without stopping, without looking back. I ran, until I finally made it back to Toriel's basement.

I was terrified. Not because of the skeletons, no, I had a plan. I was terrified by the Ruins itself, and everything residing inside. Did... I somehow cause this? And, if I didn't... what did?

Attempting to focus on the skeletons first, I put my plan into action. As I expected, Sans teleported in front of me, blocking the exit. It almost... reminded me of something. Deja Vu, perhaps. Yet, I could've sworn I saw Sans blocking the exit to... something. Not here, not in Papyrus' room or shed either. But somewhere else, something residing just outside of my clear memories, unable to be recalled exactly but still constantly there, like a reminder of something that, to my knowledge, never happened.

"Give up, kid. You're uh, basically trapped now." Sans practically begged, seeming out of breath despite having no lungs. I could see the anger in his eyes, despite attempting to make himself appear calm. It wasn't working.

I let out a sigh, halting and pretending to give up. "..." I growled, finally beginning to mutter, "Alright, alright, you w-" As I shouted 'win', I threw the rock, hard as I could, into the roof, making a loud shattering sound that echoed through the Ruins. Without missing a beat, I raced towards the exit, leaving Sans and Papyrus to be trapped in an onslaught of raindrops that were sharp as knives.

As expected, I wasn't fast enough to completely avoid damage. As I fled, I covered my head with my arms and ducked. While the rest of my body was ok, my arms were practically ripped apart. The sight made me sick, as blood oozed out. With my teeth, I frantically pulled out the shards. Of course, this didn't help. The blood only rushed faster, down my arms and hands, staining the ground below me.

Once safely out of the Ruins, I looked back. No movement.

Some part of me, some small part, wished that they somehow survived.

Though, the majority of me was _really_ hoping they were dead.

I heard a sound behind me. As I half-expected, I could see both Sans and Papyrus, standing behind me. Papyrus' bones seemed a little scarred. Sans was somehow untouched. Judging by the fact they both teleported out, I wondered if Papyrus could teleport as well? However, it seemed more likely that Papyrus protected Sans, and Sans teleported both of them out of there.

Admittedly, I was alright with Papyrus being alive. As much of a pain as he was... he had offered mercy several times, and didn't torture or push me too far even when I was captured. Despite everything, when I got hurt, he healed me. At this point, I almost wanted him to have a less painful end.

The same could not be said for his brother.

At the same time, I was still scared, but most of all, angry. We both stared at each other in silence, maybe observing how badly the other was injured (or, in one case, how amazingly unhurt the other was). I now realized Papyrus was more injured than I first thought, and he was shaking almost violently. I could hear his bones rattling through the wind, and it almost seemed like he was going to just... faint. From pain? From fear? Anger? I wasn't too sure. Despite his shaking, he showed little emotion. He just stared, looking somehow disappointed, as if he expected me to not attempt to murder them for the umpteenth time.

Sans' look told me everything, without a word being said. He wanted to kill me, right here, right now.

My arms, cut and bleeding out, hung silently at my sides as I raised my chin, looking him in the eyesockets. Not glaring. Certainly not happy or sympathetic.

Just an empty stare, as I tried not to scream and wail into the wind.


	16. The Shattered Warrior

I began to feel sick. I dared not look down, aware of the crimson liquid escaping from the cuts that covered my arms. I only looked straight ahead. Pain filled my lungs, wanting me to scream, but fear suffocated me, making me unable to breath or make a sound. I just stared.

I knew I didn't stand a chance. I put up a good fight, but the skeletons had won. Threatening them wouldn't work, and I wouldn't be able to outrun them. My only hope was to talk my way out of it. Weakly, I forced words to escape my throat. "H-Hey... I... I won't hurt either of you, alright? Just..." I tried to search for something to say, but what do you say to someone you just tried to murder? Several times?

"You should've thought of that before, kiddo." Sans shrugged, his eye glowing a faint yellow for a moment as he summoned his attack. The attack looked... how do I describe it? Like the skull of some sort of ancient dragon? It's eyes were hollow, it's teeth jagged and sharp. It floated above Sans, it's mouth opened, preparing to fire it's deadly attack.

With nowhere to go, I fell to my knees, my arms still hanging at my sides as I looked up at them, my eyes pleading. "I'm sorry." I whispered the lie, my mind screaming with the determination to survive somehow, though I knew it was no use. I'm not sure if Papyrus knew or not, but I knew for a fact Sans saw through my lie.

My eyes closed, as I realized I could no nothing to save myself.

But nothing happened.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. They were gone. Confused, for a moment I wondered if I was dead. Then, I let my gaze fall on a monster approaching me. I gasped, seeing a monster I'd never encountered before. She was a dog-like creature, similar to those I'd killed before. She wore heavy armor, and she swung a spear rather gracefully in her broken paws. As she walked, I could hear the painful sound of glass hitting glass. Every now and then, it sounded like something broke. Her eyes looked wide with pain, and every now and then she'd emit a quiet whine under her breath. Despite this, she managed to speak.

"Shouldn't you be running? You're rather slow." She chuckled, rather mockingly. Likely, she was making a joke out of the fact that the skelebros must've teleported, or just really quietly ran away from her without me noticing. Who was she? I'd never met this monster before. She, too, was like glass, just like the Froggit I'd met before. Then, I began to wonder: Why did Sans and Papyrus run from her?

I didn't move. Even if I wanted too, I felt too weak, slowly bleeding out onto the blinding white snow, now being stained with crimson.

"Come with me, let's go for a walk." She walked towards me with a small smile, holding out a paw to help me up.

I didn't accept her offer. "Who are you? Why did Sans and Papyrus run from you?" I figured, if I had any chance of survival left... I couldn't trust this monster.

_CRACK_

She was slowly shattering. "Ah... humans aren't very nice. Or is it just you?" She asked, again with a chuckle.

I heard another loud crack.

"Who are you?" I asked.

She nodded her head, seeming as if she was trying to carefully bow and introduce herself, without further breaking any of her fragile body. She seemed even more fragile than the Froggit. If I tripped over her, I'm sure she wouldn't last as long as even the Froggit did. "My name is Doge. And I must thank you."

"What?" I asked, without thinking. Thank me? For what? Killing monsters? Breaking everything?

She smiled softly. "You'll see, little human. You'll see. Don't you worry about the skeletons, alright? I do have to repay you somehow." Beyond confused, I didn't say a thing. She carefully observed my wounds. "I would heal you, but I can't use healing magic by myself anymore. I lost that ability a long, long time ago." Her voice fell. "But I have this, though." I didn't even realize that, in her other paw, she held some ice cream. Slowly, I accepted it, knowing food will heal me. "It's called Puppydough ice cream." She explained. "It... hasn't been sold in some time. Thankfully, monster food never expires."

I was too busy eating it to pay any attention. While blood still covered my arms, it seemed the cracks in my arm had reduced now to scars, or at least that's what it felt like. It was hard to see.

"Come with me, little human. On a little walk, back to Snowdin Town. Let's get you back to the village, and heal you right up." She offered, again holding out her paw.

Still, I didn't take it. "Thanks for the food..." I murmured, aware of the possibility that it was poisoned, but too close to bleeding out to care. "I can get to Snowdin myself."

Realizing that she couldn't convince me, she didn't push me more. Instead, she nodded respectfully, and wandered away, resuming her previous focus on spinning her spear in her paws.

I was so confused. I wanted to wash off my arms to check the scars, but I knew if I got wet in a cold like this, I'd surely die. Dizzy and ungraceful, I slowly made my way back to the village.

It felt like hours, and as I went, I thought of what she said. To not worry about the skeletons. Was she going to kill them? Part of me hoped she'd kill Sans. I couldn't care if I tried, in fact, I'd be happy if that grinning bag of trash was dead. Yet... part of me didn't want her to exactly kill Papyrus. For everything he'd done, he at least deserved to escape this broken monster's unexplained wrath. Maybe he could live somewhere else in the underground.

Part of me hoped I'd never see him again.

Hours began to feel like days, as I slowly walked back, leaving a trail of dust and blood as I walked. I moved slowly, until I heard another large crack behind me, followed by a tree crashing to the ground.

I didn't even look back, before running with all the energy I had left into the village. If there was something that strong out there to knock down a tree, I didn't want to meet it.

I collapsed upon making it to the shop's door. Weakly, I reached up, using the last of my energy to open the door and crawl inside, using my feet to close the door behind me. My eyes heavy and threatening to close, I feel asleep on the shop's floor, barely even aware of the trail of dust and blood leading to exactly where I was.

\---

When I awoke, I found myself wrapped in bandages, and behind the shop's counter. I had no memory of getting up at all in the middle of the 'night' (whatever time it was- hard to tell in the underground) to heal myself, but it seemed most of the blood was gone. Looking over the counter towards the door, though, proved the bloodstains still clung onto the floor, likely never to be cleaned off. Shivering a bit, I made my way over to the gloves in the store. Finding another pair of tough gloves, clearly meant to be used for attacking (I knew from experience, now), I quickly placed them back on my hands. I also stole a tiny bit of food, not to heal any wounds, but to simply restore some energy.

Filled with hope to escape and the determination to get there, I walked back out the door. Facing the cold, I ran through as fast as I could. Now awake and healed, the snowy path seemed much shorter now. Soon, I was at the other side. The cave's ceiling seemed to shorten, leading me into what looked like a large, complex and dark tunnel. Too distracted thinking about where the skeletons might be, what happened to Doge, or where on Earth Flowey went, I was even more startled by a voice.

"Yo."

It sounded familiar. I soon recognized the young, armless monster kid that I'd met before.

"Do you remember what I said before?" The child stepped forward, with a loud and confident tone that somewhat reminded me of Papyrus. Did they know each other? "Hopefully you do, because I'm not reminding you. I've learned not to talk to strangers, y'know." 

Despite his tone, I could see him shaking in fear.


	17. Welcome to Waterfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have too many shimejis. Not mad tho 'cause I finally got them to work on my new computer -3-
> 
> Was gonna get more chapters out but got busy ;w; No chapters from Thursday-Sunday, will be inactive Thursday and Friday, and end of Friday-Sunday night I'll be hanging out at Comic Con!

Despite the fact that I was healed, I didn't dare get myself in more trouble. Gazing down calmly at the kid, I murmured,

"You won't have to. I don't want to fight you." I lied, "I'm sorry." Despite my words, they meant nothing. I still planned on killing this kid. I just wanted to observe the area first, and be sure there wasn't going to be any witnesses when I did kill him. After all, I had enough problems to deal with.

Unfortunately, the armless monster caught on. With a growl, he spoke, "No, you're not." He frowned as he asked, "Have you even spared anyone?" I noticed him shiver again as he said this. His confident tone from earlier, the one that reminded me of Papyrus, made me wonder if he feared the skeleton was dead.

Careful of my words, I continued to try and get my way out of this without a fight. I didn't feel like backtracking to Snowdin if I got hurt again too quickly. Who knows how long it might be until I get food again? "Yes, I have! Several." Well... several was kind of a strong word. Spared is, perhaps, too nice as well. After all, I planned to kill little 'no arm' kid, I didn't originally intend to spare Sans and Papyrus (Sans I still plan to kill- Papyrus on the other hand... meh, I've yet to decide.), and I only spared Doge because I was injured, and she saved my life. So it was a truce, now.

As for Flowey... he seemed helpful. I was going to wait until the very end to kill him.

The young creature stared and observed thoughtfully for a long time with a frown and glare. For a moment, I wondered if he expected me to say something, though he finally ended the long pause with a question. Or, more-so a warning. "Well, I'm warning you now. If you hurt anyone else... you remember what I said, right?"

I nodded simply. "What's your name, anyways, kid?" I asked, quickly adding, "Want to know the name of the kid who wants me dead."

The kid smirked. "You have _several_ monsters who want you dead." The line sent a feeling of dread over me, though I said nothing, and waited for an answer. After some hesitation, he sighed and murmured, "Yo, just... call me MK. Or Monster Kid." Shaking his head, he warned, "Me and Undyne will be waiting for you." With that, he ran into the darkness, nearly tripping as he ran into some tall grass but he quickly caught himself. Letting out a relieved sigh when he left, I took a moment to observe the room I stood in.

A damp, wet tunnel, with a blue-ish hue to the dark walls. A lone sentry post rest against the wall, hiding a door behind it. Nearby was a blue, glowing flower, that seemed to whisper things from long ago- things that had become too distorted over time to understand. The whispers were meaningless now.

Next, I tried to get to the door. Hoping over the sentry station, I tried to open the door. Locked. Frowning, I tried to pry open the door, and when that didn't worked, I kicked it with anger. Getting no response, I decided it wasn't worth it to continue, and followed the kid into the darkness of the cave, lead by the quiet sound of a waterfall in the distance.

Continuing along the path, I found another little box, like the one I saw before. Opening it, I saw a note inside. It seemed to be written from MK, though I knew with no arms he probably had someone write it for him. He threatened me, and told me to not leave items in the box, otherwise he'd take them. Or something along those lines. I decided not to stay and read it for too long, in fear that it might be a trap.

Quickly, and a bit carelessly, I ignored the flowers' whispers as I continued along the path. Quickly, I ran through a waterfall, being careful to ignore the large rocks being carried by the water, down into a seemingly endless abyss. I wondered if it was an endless cycle- if the water and rocks would just return to the top, and if the pit wasn't endless after all.

Once on the other side, I found myself in a very dark room. I could barely see in front of me. Despite that, I saw no other way to continue, so I walked until I was surrounded by tall plants. The plants brushed against my skin, emitting angry whispers as I walked through. Hearing footsteps on the small cliff above me, I stood still as stone, cautiously gazing up. The world was dead silent as I stared at the figure, covered mostly in shadow. It seemed to have long, red hair, that stood out amongst the darkness. Two yellow eyes glared at me from the mask. I held my breath, and dared not move. Maybe she'd think the sound was just her imagination? ... Or had she already seen me?

Time itself seemed to slow, until...

"Undyne, no one's here, just me! Don't worry!"

Wasn't that MK's voice? Just now, I realized the name Undyne was familiar, not just because MK said it before. Didn't Papyrus mention her? I also wondered if MK honestly believed he and Undyne were the only two nearby, or if he was covering something up for whatever reason.

The stranger, who must be Undyne, quietly nodded and looked away. Quietly, I allowed myself to take a quick breath. Still, I froze, not daring to move until she spoke again. "The human's taking her time. I'm gonna check Snowdin. Go find RG 01 and 02." Her voice raising a bit, she added, "Don't. Stay here. By yourself. Got it? Once I get to Snowdin, I'll call Papyrus and he'll meet you a few rooms ahead."

"Yes, miss Undyne!" The kid replied.

The captain of the Royal Guard lept off the cliff, landing so dangerously close to me I was surprised I didn't fall over. I flinched, preparing for the worst, but she seemed more distracted by Snowdin, maybe checking to make sure Papyrus was, indeed, ok. After all... why wouldn't she just call Papyrus right away? Maybe he didn't answer a call.

As Undyne left towards Snowdin, I noticed her twirling a spear in one hand, and her feet moved quickly despite heavy armor. It reminded me of Doge, in a way. Did those two work together? I frowned. Things weren't adding up. Maybe she and Doge used to work together. Seemed likely... both of them looked to be fighters that used spears as their main weapon. Silently, I wondered if Undyne would ever find Papyrus.

Feeling MK tap me on the shoulder with his tail suddenly, I jumped back in surprise. He sent a glare at me, but then ran off. Again, he stumbled a few times as he ran, seeming a bit unbalanced, but he never tripped.

If I followed him, I'd have to deal with Papyrus, possibly Sans, and... whoever 'RG 01 and 02' were. But then again, where else could I go? I didn't really have much of a choice, so I continued walking.

 

A feeling of dread hung over me... but I had to stay determined.

I walked slowly and cautiously as I continued. Looking ahead, I saw a large stream. How did MK cross that? I realized that, since he has no arms, he probably has really strong legs to make up for it. Or there was another way to cross... but I couldn't find it. Looking to the side, I saw some writing on the wall. It had a huge scratch over it. It read,

_Four bri... seeds... lgn... water.... they will..._

I let out an annoyed sigh, as parts of the writing seemed to be unreadable due to someone cutting away at it. Something about four seeds in the water doing something, I think.

Beside, there were four seeds, all of which destroyed in some way. Despite this, I placed them into the water hopefully.

They bloomed.

Sort of, at least. They bloomed, but they all seemed a bit destroyed and ripped. I jumped onto one, testing it's strength. It quickly sank. I jumped to the next one, and the next, until I was finally on land. However, seemed like there was no going back now, unless I wanted to swim. I kept walking, until I was faced with another stream. No seeds to be found at all. Thankfully, the gap wasn't as big this time, so I clumsily managed to jump to the other side. Picking up the pace a little, I walked past several, beautiful flowers, that seemed to be whispering just like the flowers I saw before.

I continued to walk, noticing several writings on the wall, all scratched out. I also saw a telescope, which was knocked over and broken. I decided not to touch it. I continued navigating through the cave. A little platform hovered in the water. I carefully got onto it, and pushed myself towards the other side. Once I finally reached the other side, I jumped off the platform, and continued to walk. 

The next room was even darker, and I began to get a little freaked out. I saw Monster Kid up ahead, looking around. He didn't seem to notice me, as he kept running. How long was Waterfall? Did MK and Papyrus already meet up, or by 'a few rooms' did she mean halfway through Waterfall? Was I halfway through Waterfall, or no? Deciding I had too many questions, I stopped thinking about it, and continued to follow him through more of the odd Waterfall plants, until I saw a table with a crystal on it. Probably a trap, I thought, leaving it alone.

The next room caught my attention. It seemed to just be some sort of hallway, leading to the next room like I'd seen many times before. However... there seemed to be an out-of-place grey door. I couldn't tell you exactly what was out of place about it. The color? The feeling it gave me?

It felt both like it was a trap, and it was pulling me closer at the same time. I wanted to go past it, but I felt like I couldn't. Something about it felt like it was dragging me in.

Yet, at the same time, I feared if I dare go into that room, I'd never come out.


	18. Monster Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By the way, this chapter's in MK's POV! If I remember correctly, we won't get back to Frisk's POV for a few chapters.

My tail dragged behind me on the floor as I walked through Onionsan's room. An eerie silence filled the air, and the water was unmoving. Feeling completely alone in the room, I wondered, did I make a mistake? Had the human already been here? I really hoped I was wrong.

Drawing in a breath, I lifted my head and continued to run, my heart thrumming in my chest as I went. Suddenly spotting a shadow in the corner of my eye, I jumped in fear, and quickly turned around to attempt to threaten the human. I calmed when I, instead, saw Shyren. Her tail was thumping against the group rhythmically, as she hummed her beautiful yet dangerous song.

I chose not to ask why she was still here when the human was around, so I simply asked, "Has the human been here yet, Ren?" I'd given her that nickname some time ago, as I often would hang around Waterfall to attempt to watch Undyne- and, occasionally, Papyrus. I got along with both of them quite well, especially Papyrus.

Shyren shook her floating head.

"Yo, you should probably go. Undyne and the other members of the Royal Guard will take care of this. A lot of other monsters have fled." I advised, trying to sound like I spoke with some sort of authority in hopes to convince her. Despite this, my tail swayed back and forth out of rhythm, a habit I'd developed when I got nervous. A bad habit, since it often lead to me being unbalanced and stumbling.

For once, the singer was silent. Her hair hiding most of her face, she soon looked up with a soft smile. "Thank you, but this is my home. I will not leave. Stay safe, Monster Kid." She spoke slowly, as she often did. She rarely spoke, so I was surprised she did at all. Usually the shy monster would simply sing or say nothing at all.

I looked away. I tried to think of some way to convince her, but I knew there'd be no point. She, along with several other monsters, had chosen to stay- either to simply hide, or to attempt to fight this creature. I felt a little guilty for not saying more, but I was just a kid. I couldn't change anything, I figured.

Not yet.

Forcing myself to continue, despite wanting to stay with Shyren, I continued on with my mind paying attention to the calming sound of the water. I shivered I ventured deeper into the cave, aware that the human might be catching up and I could be unaware. I tried not to think of the monsters left behind. I only hoped they'd all be ok. That everything would be ok, and that no one would be hurt again by this human.

My gaze drifted to ancient writing on the wall. This particular one read,

_This power has no counter. Indeed, a human cannot take a monster's soul._

I continued onwards. At least she couldn't take our souls. Everything would be fine...

What at first glance would appear to be rain fell from the tunnel's ceiling, water dripping off from the top, an endless cycle of rain that would likely never stop. I couldn't help but stumble and trip every now and then as I thought about everyone, and my nervousness grew. Shyren, the Royal Guard, Papyrus, Undyne, so many monsters were staying behind to fight this human. I ran through the dark puddles, puddles that usually I'd jump in happily and splash water everywhere with my powerful legs and tail. This time, I merely walked past, creating small splashes as I went.

Eventually though, my place slowed as I thought about the human. Were they behind me? Did they fall into the water? Were they unable to pass one of the traps I'd set? Trying not to think, my mind only created more questions and worry. Where was Papyrus now? We met up a few rooms back, and I thought he continued on deeper into the cave, but now I wasn't sure where he was. I doubted he fled to Hotland. While lost in my thoughts, I found myself in my favorite spot in the whole, wide world. Well, in the underground, at the very least. The room was super dark, with only the faint glow of crystals on the walls to allow only a silhouette of things being visible, barely anything more. The crystals on the ceiling grew brighter. Many years ago, I heard monsters would wish upon stars. Now, we wished upon those.

My favorite part of the room, was the castle in the distance. It was as if it were watching over us. One day, I vowed some time ago, I'd be in that castle. Excited for that day, I smiled and kept walking.

I soon made my way to a small cliff. I wondered if the human would be able to climb it, but I figured that they were a little taller than me and very determined. I'm sure they'd find a way up somehow, right? After all, no way would I help that human. Not after what they did. I would never make it to the castle if I were caught helping a killer. Taking a few steps back, I ran forwards and jumped, easily making it to the top. I didn't like anyone seeing me do that, though. It made me feel like a secret superhero! When I got older, I swore to be the greatest superhero of all time. Then, it wouldn't be a secret at all!

With that thought, I felt as if I was full of energy once again. I kept running forward, happily swishing my tail. And tripping. A lot. Then, I'd get back up and keep going, no matter how dark the room was. I'd been down this path so many times, I felt as if I could get through Waterfall blind! Imagine that, the blind and armless superhero. Truly the best of them all.

Ok, well, I'd probably need my eyes to fight bad guys... but still.

Finally, I made my way to a dead end, with a large fall to the bottom. While not the only way to get to the garbage dump, I figured the human wouldn't know any other path to take aside from the simple one I just took without much thought. So, I placed down a note, one that I didn't actually write myself because of the whole no-arm thing. It was a note to the human, telling them how to get down safely.

Sure, I could just let the human wander aimlessly and/or fall a long ways with no clue what exactly to do and hope for the best, but I wanted to see the human one last time.

I continued running, then, as if the bridge was a diving board, jumped and dived right into the Trash Zone's water. Swimming until the water was shallow enough for me to walk in it, I continued on through the garbage dump. Despite it's name, most of the trash was organized quite well. Well enough to walk through without stepping in unwanted trash, that is. It was a place that several monsters, including Undyne, loved to hang out at. Trash from the surface world would sometimes fall down here.

Despite that, I never found myself liking this place very much. I tried to hurry my way through, and as I went, though, I heard a splash. Turning around, flowers had bloomed where I fell. Feeling uneasy, I started running to the next room, until...

"Oh... sorry...!"

I stopped, just as a translucent pale figure moved out of the way. "S-Sorry!" The quiet ghost continued. I shook my head,

"It's fine, Napsta!" I'd met this ghost a few times before. I always called him 'Napsta', since it was hard to pronounce his full name. I wasn't too worried about him- despite his shy and quiet demeanor, this polite ghost who usually didn't like to fight was actually a pretty good fighter, so I've heard from some Mad Dummy who lives nearby here. I only met that guy once, and I'd rather not again. Besides, Napsta is a ghost. Humans can't physically harm a ghost! "Any news?"

"Nothing interesting... I don't want to waste your time, you're in a rush... the human isn't here, is she?" He asked softly.

"Not sure. The human's probably seen Shyren by now... hopefully she's ok, last time I talked to her, she seemed pretty determined to stay and fight the human instead of fleeing." I curled my tail around my stomach, signifying the thought of something bad happened sickened me. Napsta's frown grew, and I could see worry in his eyes.

"I told her to go to my house to hide..." The ghost shivered, looking down. For a moment, I thought he was going to cry. "You should keep going. I'll let you know if there's... hm... any news." He murmured, just barely loud enough for me to even hear him.

"Alright. Don't worry though! I'll take care of the human!" I chirped. I just have to lead them to the bridge. There, I'll have an advantage. I cross over that small bridge all the time! The human will loose their balance, then everyone will be happy with me! I continued on without waiting for his response, silently hoping my some-what fake optimism lifted his spirits again.

Wait, did I just make a pun? I need to stop listening to Papyrus' brother's jokes. I continued on the path, not stopping until I heard an old voice call out.

"Kid! Kid, come here!" Gerson called. I quickly ran over, as I respected Gerson a lot. Everyone did. I heard he fought all those years ago in the war between humans and monsters! Despite the fact that he just stayed in his little shop in Waterfall, and insisted often he was nothing all that special, I knew he was an amazing fighter. When he was younger, at least. So I've heard. It's hard to imagine Gerson as being any younger, though, since I've always known him as just being incredibly old, even for a monster of his kind.

"I can see that look in yer eye, young'un. Yer not runnin' from the human, yer runnin' to a fight. Ya know the human hasn't even been here, yet? No rush, kid."

"Y-yes sir." I stammered. "I'm gonna beat the human."

"Kid, you'd be safer goin' to Hotland. The royal guard is waitin' there, y'know. Papyrus passed through here, though he didn't talk to me. He seemed worried. Probably just about the human, though."

Before I could comment, he continued.

"He's also worried 'bout you, kiddo. Both Undyine an' him are. Remember that, kid. Stay safe, alright?"

I nodded, thankful for his advice. "Alright. Thank you, sir." With that, I left. However, I couldn't help but let my thoughts dwell on something Gerson had said.

They're worried about me.

I smiled.

_Don't worry, you two. I'll make you guys proud! I'll be the best royal guardsmen that ever was!_


	19. The Monster Child and the Killer Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before you point it out, the prophecy was changed on purpose for this AU! ^^

_They're worried about me._

I kept that thought in my mind as I carried on, now taking on a slower pace, confident the human wasn't going to catch up. I wanted to save my energy for later, anyways. Walking through the tunnel, I could hear the quiet murmuring of echo flowers as I passed. I didn't bother to look at the tablets with ancient writing on them. The water was powerful as I walked through it, but it was no problem for me. Heading into the next room, I decided not to activate the mushrooms. I knew this route fairly well, and I didn't want to give the human an advantage. Keeping my tail pressed against the wall to act as a guide, I slowly and cautiously made my way through the maze. Thankfully, it didn't take too long. Despite that, since the next room was the darkening lantern room, I made my way through as quickly as possible. Once through, I pushed myself through the water. Though the actual route was to take a left turn, I kept walking until I saw the echo flower. Just to freak the human out, I whispered,

"Behind you..."

With a smirk, I bounded away and continued on the right path. Then stopped. A golden flower was beside one of the Echo Flowers. Upon spotting me, he breathed into the echo flower, then dove away. Whatever message that had been left behind was gone because of that flower. But how did a flower do that? I didn't even know flower-monsters existed... I shook my head. That wasn't what I was overly concerned about right now. Continuing on, I looked up at an ancient tablet. It read;

_However... there is a prophecy.  
The cursed one,  
The one who has seen the surface,  
They will return  
To break the underground._

A chill went up my spine as I read it again. Some monsters thought this prophecy meant that the 'cursed one' will break every monster to bits. To kill them. Others think this prophecy means that 'the cursed one' will save us all. They'll break the underground and destroy the barrier, so monsters can go live freely on the surface that us monsters have dreamed of for more years that I've been alive. After staring at the wall in thought for a while, I quietly moved on, not looking back to see what the splash behind me was, or why that golden flower was there in the first place.

Silently, I wondered if the prophecy was already coming true.

Stepping across the bridge, I made my way to the end of it, then sat down. And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

I waited for quite a while. I couldn't help but wonder, Did I make a mistake? Did the human pass me? Is the human dead? Are my friends ok? Should I wait here? Should I go back, and check? Should I flee to Hotland, as I was told to do?

Though, I silenced those questions by thinking about what would happen when this fight was done. I'd be known as the bravest monster ever! I'll attack the human, and I'll win. I won't be just a 'kid', I'll be the best Royal Guardsmen the underground has ever seen! Undyne will be proud of me! The entire Royal Guard, no, the entire underground will be impressed!

Surely, I thought, killing this human was the only way to happiness.

Lost in my thoughts, I hardly noticed the footsteps approaching me. Quickly standing up, she barely seemed to notice me at first. She kept looking over her shoulder, as if convinced someone was following her, hiding in the shadows. She seemed nervous and disoriented, as if she couldn't remember how she got here or where exactly she was. For a moment, I wondered if she even remembered she was in the Underground. If she remembered anything. Though, when she saw me and her eyes widened in recognition, I knew she must've just been exhausted from my clever puzzles. That's all it was, right?

Just makes it easier for me, I convinced myself. No mercy. Not now! This is my chance. I'll be the best Royal Guardsmen there ever was. I won't be just 'a kid'. Not after this!

Taking a confident step forward, my tail swayed cautiously, and my breathing was quick. I was shaking a little bit, too. But I stood tall, and prepared for a fight.

"Take another step forward. I dare you! If you want to get past me, you'll have to get through me, first!"

The human took a hesitant step forward.

"Look. I don't want to fight you, MK." She began. Oddly enough, she seemed to be telling the truth. 

"Coward!" I taunted, not letting her finish her thought. I tried to remember something that Undyne said to me. "Y-you're standing in the way of everyone's hopes and dreams! S-So I'll strike you down! I won't even have to use magic! NGAAAAH!" I roared, racing towards them. They didn't have much room on the bridge to dodge, so instead, they ran forward, and jumped over my shoulder, heading to the exit. "Not so fast!" I threatened, and with one quick leap, my claws dug into their back. They emitted a hissing sound and glared at me, before falling backwards to try and crush me. They were too slow. I quickly jumped away from them, and pinned them down. Thinking I'd won, I raised my head to give a threatening roar, when they jumped up and effortlessly shook me off.

"You-" The human swore loudly at me, eyes full of rage. Despite being disoriented and nervous only moments before, she seemed to turn all of her confusion into anger, directed, now, at me. "Fine! I didn't want to fight, but you asked for it! Attack me again, I f-" I tried to not listen as she loudly swore once again, "dare you!"

Not expecting such anger in their voice, I hesitated for a moment. To make up for this, I quickly ran towards them again, full of energy. Leaping forward, from their perspective, I'm sure it looked like I was going to tackle them. At the last moment, though, I turned around, smacking them with my powerful tail. Feeling something odd on my tail, I quickly bounded away from them to avoid getting attacked, then looked at my tail. Some sort of red liquid. Was this blood? I've heard about it, but I've never actually seen it. Monsters don't bleed like humans do. Well, at least, if some monsters did, I'd never seen it. Looking back at the human, she was hunched over, facing away from me.

Cautiously, I stepped forward. "Didn't expect that, huh?" I sneered. "Go run home to your mommy!"

I didn't know something could have so much hate in their eyes until she looked at me again. Blood ran from her nose and mouth, and blood stained her hands, probably from trying to stop the bleeding. I guess I hit her more powerfully than I originally thought. She didn't stand up though. Time felt like it stopped as she stared. Everything was dead silent.

Then she just looked away.

Feeling overconfident, I walked up to them calmly, my thoughts racing. This is it. This is finally it. I'll finally be happy! I'll be the best! I'll be-

The human turned around, and, with one powerful hit to the stomach, knocked me backwards. Stumbling, I tried to jump towards them... when I realized there was no ground below me to jump from.

Before I closed my eyes, I swear I saw another monster, watching the fight from the darkness.

As I began to fall, I mentally whispered to the underground.

_I'm sorry. I failed._


	20. There's Good In Everyone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who left a kudos on this story! :'DD Back from my little... sort-of vacation??? This chapter is in Papyrus' perspective.

If I had a heart, I'm sure it would've stopped for a moment, as time slowed around me. My jaws parted to scream, but shock muted any chance I had to beg them to stop fighting. The human pushed Monster Kid off the bridge. Mind racing, I ran forward, though suddenly stopped as the human's arms shot out in front of her, though this time, not to fight.

With the little amount of strength she had left, the criminal grabbed the child by the neck, and pulled him back onto the bridge. The child landed with a thud as the human fell backwards onto the bridge, and carefully crawled a small distance away. While not in the most gentle manner... the human, undoubtedly, saved his life. If she'd let him fall, such a small, young monster would've died.

I took a step back, carefully watching as Monster Kid ran towards me. He paused, then ran past with his face hidden, maybe ashamed he couldn't finish the fight. Running quickly towards Hotland, I knew he'd go to RG 01 and 02, both of which stood waiting at the entrance to Hotland, which was very close by. Once the human saw me, she stared for a moment. She seemed as if she wanted to risk running towards me, as she looked over her shoulder and seemed very hesitant to head backwards... then took off in the opposite direction, realizing she couldn't make it past me. Though I only saw her for a moment, I knew something was wrong. Blood fell from her nose and mouth, and I assumed the battle must've caused it. As the human turned and ran, I noticed the back of her shirt was torn in a claw-like manner, revealing cuts underneath, steadily bleeding. There was one final thing I noticed- her eyes were wide, and her face was ghostly pale. While I was a skeleton with little knowledge about blood, I figured that she wasn't loosing enough blood to look so... dead. From the look in her eyes, I came to the conclusion that she was terrified.

Knowing Undyne would surely take the human to Asgore if she found her, I followed. This human needed another chance. She'd spared Monster Kid, and probably more monsters. I knew she had some good in her. Everyone does.

Once I'd caught up with her, she was already close to the darkening lantern room. Considering she was injured, she was a fast runner. In general, even, a fast runner. Realizing I'd caught up, she slowed her pace until she was at a complete stop. From running so much while injured, the back of her shirt was becoming stained with red. She looked up at me, a look in her eyes that seemed to be a strange mix of terror, exhaustion, and hopelessness, then collapsed, presumably from exhaustion. I never wanted to see that look again.

I couldn't exactly blame her. She'd been running for a long time. Even after just waking up, it wasn't long before she was running again, despite any injuries. Considering how scared she was, she must've encountered some bad fights on the way here. The fear of sneaking around and running for your life in an unknown land, fighting for your life constantly, all of it would surely be tiring for a small human. While she may have caused a lot of damage while here... with several lives taken by her choice to fight... she could surely do better. After all, she spared Monster Kid when it would've been easier for her to do nothing at all.

Noticing her shaking, I stepped forward. She said nothing, she just stared up at me. There was nothing there. No hope. Nearly expressionless. Eventually, she lowered her head, resting it on the ground.

_RING! RI-_

Startled by my phone, I quickly grabbed it, before returning my gaze to the human. "Greetings, Undyne! Any news?" I asked, not daring to look away from the human.

Undyne's voice quiet, she answered, "I'm... coming back from Snowdin. Have you seen the human?"

"Hiding somewhere in Waterfall. Not too sure about progress yet. Monster Kid is safe." I told her. I felt terrible, lying about the human... but at least Monster Kid was truly safe. "I'm still looking, I don't think the human got past me, but... she's not here. Yet." As I spoke, I took another step towards the human. Kneeling closer to the ground, I held out my hand, quietly beckoning them to take my hand. She refused, though shakily stood up using the wall to help her. Either out of curiosity or desperation, she looked like she was willing to follow me.

"Alright, I'll be in Waterfall soon." As she spoke, she'd pause every now and then to take a breath. I could hear loud footsteps through the speaker.

"Undyne? Are you ok? Sounds like you're running..." I paused, silently motioning to the human to stay put. "What happened? Are you ok?"

"Crazy sh... stuff, that's what. I'll tell ya later. Sans is still at his post, right?"

"Right! He hasn't called me, so I assume everything's alright?" I answered, not asking about the pause before she said 'stuff'.

"Alright. I'm gonna look through Waterfall. Don't go past the half-way point back to Snowdin, I don't want the human getting to Hotland until I know where they are." Undyne instructed. "I..."

Thinking quickly, I interrupted, claiming, "I checked Temmie Village. Nothing, aside from a few unsettled... uh... temmies." Another lie, and I hated it. Though, I couldn't just say the human was here. She'd never be able to get her second chance that way. No, instead, her soul would be taken. She'd only ever be known as a killer.

"Thanks." I knew my plan would work. She didn't want to go to Temmie Village in the first place, so knowing I already looked there would be enough to convince her to stay away. Several monsters hated going to that place... many more of which didn't even know exactly where it was. It wasn't exactly dangerous there, just... unnerving? Weird? "I'll call you back once I've found the human and kicked their a- I mean, er, once I defeat the human."

"Alrighty Undyne! See ya!"

"Bye, nerd." I guessed she was smiling as she hung up.

"... I assume that was Undyne?" The human's voice was oddly quiet and timid. "You said 'Undyne'."

"Erm, yes." I answered. "Follow me."

Even if parts of that conversation was a lie, at least Frisk would be safer now. Guiding Frisk through the darkness, as I didn't want to activate anything that'd indicate anyone was here recently, we made our way to Temmie Village, with Frisk following close behind. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the most fond of Temmie Village, but it's better than nothing.

The human quietly coughed.

"Human?"

"What."

"You were coughing."

She murmured something, though I still heard her, "No shit, sherlock." I didn't know exactly what she meant, but I knew it must've meant something like 'duh'. She quickly attempted to use her shirt to wipe some blood off her face. I noticed some colour was, thankfully, returning to her skin.

"Why?" I asked, ignoring the rude comment.

"... these creatures are the cause... I think." She pointed to the several temmies watching us... and Bob.

Hi Bob.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. Well, there goes that idea. If this place will make the human sick, I'm glad to get out of here. However, where else do we go? Suddenly, I got an idea. "Follow me, then."

Walking back out into the darkness, I looked back. Blood stained the place where Frisk had been standing. Not very much blood, but still, blood. The human must've left a trail of it. Hoping the darkness would hide at least a fair amount of the blood, as there was no time to clean or hide it, I grabbed Frisk's arm and pulled her through the darkness. She yelped at the sudden touch, but she didn't (or maybe couldn't) fight back as I lead her to a dead end. I just hoped Undyne wouldn't check this place. It was close enough to Temmie Village, and it was a dead end anyways.

Letting go of the human, I sat down in the shadows and waited.

"Are we just going to wait here?" The human asked, her arms crossed as she sat with her back against the wall. Blood now stained the front of her shirt a bit, but the flow of blood seemed to be coming to a halt.

"I told Undyne not to check here, because I've already checked this place."

"How long will we wait here?"

"Hopefully not too long."

A long moment of silence passed.

"Why are you helping me?" She eventually asked.

"You spared MK. That proves there's some good in you. There's good in everything."

"You still believe that?"

I nodded.

Frisk shook her head. Moving to the opposite wall, she placed herself in a corner, then closed her eyes after a while of looking around uncertainly. For a second, I can't deny it was a bit comforting to rest quietly, hidden by darkness, until I heard loud footsteps.

Undyne's footsteps.

"Where are you, coward?!" I heard the warrior's voice echo loudly in another room, filled with rage. Knowing it'd be harder for Undyne to see Frisk if she was against the wall I was leaning against, as more shadow covered that place, I motioned Frisk to come closer. Frisk, more silent than a mouse, crawled a tiny bit closer, then stopped, backing herself against a wall. Her breathing halted. As the footsteps grew louder, I wondered if Undyne knew where we were. For a horrible moment, I thought about what would happen if she found out.

 

But the, she headed straight to the end of the room. She halted by the exit, making sure the lanterns were off before she left, leaving us drowning in the darkness once more. Frisk's breathing finally started once again, her heaving breathing indicating it was difficult to hold her breath for that long. As a skeleton, breathing wasn't exactly my biggest concern. Humans are indeed so much different than monsters. I realized. What do humans think of us? Are we just myths? Have monsters been forgotten? As so many questions formed a tornado in my thoughts, one stood out to me. Why did the human come here?

And where will she go next?

As this thought emerged, more followed. What will happen if everyone finds out I've been helping the human? Should I give up, and take Frisk to Undyne? It'd be so much easier. I'd known as the monster who finally caught the 'evil' human. I'd be loved, famous, I'd have so many friends.

But I knew I couldn't give up. She deserved another chance. I doubted the other monsters would accept that... and I knew I'd run the risk of losing the few friends I did have.

Quietly, I sat and wondered where me and the human could go next.


	21. Back to Snowdin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions build and questions arise as this duo of curiosity head back to Snowdin.
> 
> Finally back in Frisk's POV!

My gaze shifted upwards to the tall skeleton, who's thoughts seemed to be elsewhere as he didn't look back at me. As for my thoughts, I wondered where to go next. _If we go to Hotland, we'll get caught,_ I reasoned, _I'd rather go back to Snowdin, I can pick up some items there before anything else._ Despite feeling dizzy, I forced myself to stand. The world spinned for a moment, though staying still, slowly my vision faded back to normal. My entire body hurt, and I had the feeling that I was being watched, though I knew that was impossible where I was hiding currently. There was something off about Waterfall... but oddly, I couldn't recognize what exactly it was. Or remember why I felt concerned in the first place.

Papyrus finally looked back at me. Observing for a moment, he soon stood up. "Here. I may not be the best at healing magic compared to some monsters, but this should help a lot!" He attempted to place a hand on my shoulder, but I flinched away. "It's harder to heal from a distance," He was about to argue, but realizing I didn't want him to get too close, he murmured, "I'll try."

Green magic formed in the air, lighting up the room covered in darkness with a green tint to everything. The healing magic flew around, like fireflies in the air. For a second, I was almost tempted to flee, but I remembered being healed by Toriel's green magic in the Ruins, and somehow, I knew that this wasn't a trick. As suspected, the color began to return to my pale face, and I felt as if I could run for miles. I felt powerful again.

Despite this, I told myself that this was part of the... what to call it, a joke? He was only trying to gain my trust. Maybe so he could be the one to kill me? I wasn't sure why he insisted on making it so complicated for himself, when he had many opportunities to kill me before... I couldn't understand, but I wouldn't let myself be fooled. Maybe he didn't intend to kill me? I couldn't figure out why, though.

With the feeling of power restored, I told myself, _I'll choose where to go. He gets no say in the matter._

_I'm still in control._

With that thought in mind, I nodded curtly to the monster, and began walking.

"Hey, where are you going?" He asked.

"Snowdin." I responded simply, not willing to explain my reasoning or share my thoughts. After all, he's still just a monster.

"Shouldn't we go to Hotland?" He questioned, "As much as I hate it there, that's the way out of the Underground. Isn't... isn't that what you want to do?" Papyrus asked.

 _It's a trap,_ I thought, _He's trying to lure me towards the monsters that await us in Hotland. Then, he'll turn and attack._

The thought... seemed almost painful in a way, though I couldn't say why. After all, it's the truth.

My hands curled into fists as I silently told myself to focus and answer the question. It wouldn't hurt to tell him a little bit. He's probably too stupid to stop my plan anyway. "Too many monsters. Snowdin will be better, there I can get items and such."

"Undyne seemed to be in a hurry to get out of there! If Undyne of all monsters is worried about something, everyone else should be terrified!" He informed, seeming a bit surprised.

All part of the trap.

"I can handle it." I sighed, growing tired of the questions, and yet, I found myself to like them at the same time. When people asked questions, it helped me understand their plan better. That's just what I needed... what was Papyrus' backup-plan anyway, if luring me to Hotland failed? He healed me, so battling me probably wasn't his plan. Unless he thought he could beat me again.

Like hell I'd let that happen.

I continued walking, for the most part simply retracing my steps. I could hear Papyrus following close behind, though I didn't turn to look at him. If I did, he may see that as me being afraid, and I don't want to send the wrong message. Why should I be afraid? He's just another monster to kill. And, at most, another picture to burn. It won't matter anyway. Then again, the fact that he beat me once did make me curious of what he'd do next. I took that thought as the reason I was letting him live in the first place. Also, I do suppose he's being helpful at the moment so... may as well enjoy it while it lasts. Which I doubt will be very long.

We walked in silence for most of the way. Most monsters in Waterfall were dead. That way, if I did go to Hotland, I wouldn't be trapped between Waterfall and Hotland. I'm safe.

I'm still in control.

The occasional noise here and there passed, but I didn't look. If I did look, I might look jumpy. I'm not afraid, and these monsters need to understand that.

I need to understand that, honestly. Convincing myself to be without fear proves difficult often, no matter how much I try to convince myself otherwise.

Once we exited Waterfall, I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched through the fog. Looking around, for a split second I saw flash of gold, before it disappeared into the fog. Was that Flowey?

I tensed up for a moment, but then quickly convinced myself to not be afraid of it. It was just a flower. A stupid, stupid flower.

Papyrus finally broke the silence, commenting, "This is where we fought."

I nodded.

I guess Papyrus figured from my lack of a vocal response that I didn't want to talk. Though that wasn't 100% the case, I didn't care too much.

In the fog, I began to make out shapes. I slowed my pace slightly. Despite me being so careful to not be dramatic, Papyrus noticed. Well, either that, or he noticed the shapes too. I guess both. Either way, he slowed down. I looked back at him, but I couldn't tell a clear expression. Attempting to keep my mind off my growing uneasiness, I kept going. From previous experience, I knew getting caught in the cold wasn't the brightest decision, so it was of little interest to me to stay here for long. After what seemed like an eternity, the fog stopped. Was the fog more spread out than usual? Or was that my imagination?

Finally, I had to ask. Turning around, I questioned, "Why are you still here? Won't the other monsters question you? Or do they know this is part of your plan?" I accused.

Papyrus hesitated in answering that. I thought it was because he didn't want to answer, but when I looked, he was staring at someone in the distance. He motioned me to hide in a nearby tree. Curious yet cautious, I decided obeying was the best decision for now.

"Hey!" Papyrus yelled at some monster I could hardly see. "All monsters were told to evacuate the area! Head to Hotland!" Papyrus instructed.

No answer.

Papyrus walked over to them. Knowing it'd be harder to hear, I snuck forward a little bit, still using the trees to hide me. When the trees would no longer block me from their view, I ran into the fog, hoping they wouldn't see me. I could just barely see Papyrus. He was looking around, seemingly confused and bothered. The monster he'd seen was nowhere to be found. Maybe it was just Flowey playing a trick or something? Or a really stupid monster?

_CRACK_

The tree behind me snapped in half.


	22. All Monsters Were Told to Evacuate the Area.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk's filled with dread... but she stays determined.
> 
> She has to.

I hesitated, my thoughts racing. I nearly bolted away, but realized if I ran to Waterfall, I'd be trapped there. Since basically everyone who used to reside in Snowdin was dead, surely that was my best bet, right? I turned around. Papyrus seemed fixated on something in the distance. If the tree behind me snapped, and Papyrus was looking the opposite way, surely that meant we were surrounded. I had to quickly think of a plan.

In Waterfall, I'll be trapped. Hotland had too many monsters waiting, I didn't want to go there yet. Both of those options wouldn't do... so we'd have to hide in Snowdin Forest. In such a big forest, maybe whatever's surrounding us will lose us. Me and Papyrus will run there.

Papyrus is only coming with me because he has a slight chance of defending me if we do, truly share a common enemy here. If not, well. I killed so many other monsters. I can kill Papyrus too.

Carefully moving towards the tall skeleton, I tried to keep my voice calm as I murmured, "Follow me." Hoping he didn't notice how uneasy I felt, I began speed-walking best I could through the thick snow towards the town.

Papyrus didn't follow for a moment. I turned around, about to tell him to hurry up, but thankfully he caught up without me saying anything. Once he'd caught up, we silently agreed to run to the town, constantly looking behind us.

That was, until, of course, we actually saw the town.

Or what's left of it.

Buildings were cracked and breaking apart, as if they'd been abandoned for years. The air was filled with dust and fog, making it hard to see in front of us. I didn't remember fog being in the town itself. I guess the fog was growing. Papyrus' house had a split directly through the middle, a perfect split. Surely something natural couldn't have caused that. That must've been on purpose. But who could've done this? Papyrus stiffened as he looked at... I suppose, what used to be his house.

Papyrus started backing up. I turned around to look at him.

A figure was in the fog behind him.

Thinking fast, I emitted a shriek to warn him, then bolted, not checking to make sure he was ok. The ground below me was more ice-like than snow-like, much to my advantage, so I could quickly run through instead of sinking into the snow. I could hear someone following me. Turning around, I realized it was Papyrus. Once he realized I saw him, he ran ahead of me. Maybe to show he wasn't chasing me? Or maybe he was trying to ditch me? Either way, seeing not much of an option, I followed him. Eventually, Papyrus began to slow down. Positive whoever was there was no longer following us, I slowed down as well until I was at a complete stop. Exhausted, I sat down. "Wh..." I stopped to breath. "What was that?!"

"I don't know!" Papyrus exclaimed. I could tell he was tired, though not out of breath. Of course, he's a skeleton. Kinda hard to loose breath when you don't have it in the first place.

_CRUNCH_

The familar sound of breaking snow sounded. Looking up, mysterious figures slid out of their hiding spots in the trees. Instinctively, both me and Papyrus backed up.

Two glass monsters, just like the Froggit I met in the Ruins.

In the lead was Chilldrake. Its glasses were heavily broken, seemingly impossible to see out of. Chilldrake didn't seem to care. The rest of its body was transparent, but not too badly broken yet. It's face and wings were shattered, though. An unreadable expression.

Snowdrake stood beside Chilldrake. Snowdrake's body was much more broken, and his expression was twisted into a permanent smile of disbelief and pain. Maybe even a sick amusement?

_CLINK! CLINK!_

I turned around.

Three more glass monsters. Five in total, now.

All of them were Ice Caps, all broken in different ways. Their hats still had a tint of color of what it used to be, to tell them apart.

The red Ice Cap's jaw was open, and clearly broken. His eyes were wide with pain, and his hat was torn apart. Aside from his jaw and hat, the rest of his body was basically untouched.

The green Ice Cap was probably the best off. Though his face, hat, and body were all broken, none of the injuries were very severe. 'Green' just... stared.

The blue Ice Cap was the worst. Though his hat wasn't torn and his jaw wasn't broken, his entire body was shattered. He didn't seem to notice any pain, though. He just glared.

None of them spoke, but Blue nodded to Papyrus, seeming content.

_I knew it. Papyrus lead me into a trap._

I turned to glare at him, preparing to run or attack.

The skeleton frantically shook his skull, loudly whispering, "I didn't even know they were there! I-"

With a growl, I had enough. I bolted off, trying to find a place where I could kill them easier. Though I'd killed them before (well, 5/6 of them), I didn't know exactly what was up with these broken monsters. If they were already dead, was it even possible for me to kill them again?

As I ran, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by the betrayal I knew was coming.

Whatever. I didn't need allies anyways.

I could hear an argument going on behind me, but I didn't listen to what they were saying. I was too upset to care. I kept running, and didn't stop, especially as I could hear Papyrus running after me, and calling for me to come back. I turned around and glared at him, but continued to run.

He slowed down ever so slightly, with a seemingly sad expression.

Part of me wanted to believe that he was being honest, but I knew that was a wishful thought. A good actor though, I'll give him that. Turning away from him, I kept running for Snowdin Town.

He's still following me.

Enraged, I turned around and prepared to fight him off, though I ended up tripping, and cutting myself on the ice. Thankfully, not a bad cut, but I swore under my breath, and looked up at him. His expression seemed worried.

Was he really, though?

I doubted it.

"You lead me into a trap!" I accused.

Papyrus shook his head. "I... I promise you, I didn't. I thought everyone in Snowdin was gone!" He insisted.

I thought so too.

"You're a liar!" I accused.

"Whatever you think, I promise I'm not! The only clue I had that someone was in Snowdin was Undyne's phone call. That's it."

"What were you and those... things arguing about, then?" I looked skeptically, acting as if I'd actually heard everything, which I hadn't.

Papyrus looked away for a moment. "They told me... _you_ made them like that, and I was to join them and kill you." Papyrus answered.

"... Bull. I don't even know HOW those things exist, let alone why or how they became like that! And what do they mean by 'join them'? How would you do that?" I answered honestly. I was scared and confused now. Who's side was he on? Was he lying? Telling the truth?

A not-Papyrus voice answered my question, coming from behind me.

"They want Papyrus to become broken like the rest of Snowdin."

I dared not answer.

Papyrus spoke back to the all-to-familiar flower's voice in a threatening yet worried tone. "And... how would I become broken in the first place?"

"Die." The flower answered, "Kill yourself, get killed by Frisk... either way, they want you to join them."


	23. Lying to Save a Criminal

We didn't answer him. Papyrus seemed frozen in fear, the thought of dying and/or joining the broken monsters paralyzing him. I realized, then, that I couldn't kill him now. If I did, he'd join those broken monster, and make things even more difficult. Maybe they'd just... turn to dust by themselves, like the Froggit did, but I didn't want to count on that as I knew so little about these strange zombie-monsters. I realized I had no choice but to trust him. Quietly pressing down on the small wound caused by the ice, I figured the broken ones wouldn't just stand around and wait, they'd follow us. I had to hurry this up, and get us out.

Keeping in mind that Flowey himself was not broken, I asked, "Just who's side are you on? Are you telling him to die, or are you warning him?" I spoke assertively.

He _laughed._

With a small shake of his head, and a small shrug with his vines he didn't bother to speak another word and fled into the ground. Was he unwilling to tell? Or did he not know the answer himself? Maybe he wanted us to be confused? Or... maybe it doesn't matter to him whether he lives or dies?

Still a bit unsure about trusting Papyrus, I was hesitant to speak. Or move. Papyrus seemed to be the same way, however, he was probably more concerned about that fact that so many wanted him dead.

Because of me.

The thought made me shiver, though I couldn't explain why. It's not like death was new to me. I'd caused it. I had to, to survive in this world.

So why, then, did this monster make it feel so awful? Was it a side-effect of healing magic, to make me sympathize with him? Was this magic he seemed to be using on me supposed to make me feel something when encountering death? Was this punishment for all the monsters I'd killed?

No. I was still in control. A fox in a chicken coup, lionesses hunting a weakened zebra. These monsters were as fragile as snow. I could still kill them. I was just playing along, to make this more interesting for me. What's more interesting than a risk of death?

The broken monsters are a minor setback at most, and I don't care if Papyrus lives or dies.

With that thought in mind, I stood up. "We have to go. Those broken things are going to catch up."

Papyrus didn't seem to hear me.

I was hesitant to continue. I knew that there was a possibility that he could still back-stab me. However, now that we shared a common enemy, I could trust him a little more. Just for now, I'm sure it won't last. "We have to go. They'll catch up soon." I walked forward and tapped his arm, finally managing to get his attention. I'm sure a normal fool would've felt bad for him. But I'm sure way more people want me dead than him, so I didn't really care as much as maybe I should've. "Helloo? C'mon crybaby, we have to go. They'll catch up soon."

Papyrus shakily nodded and stood up.

Ok, maybe I felt slightly bad for him. He was new to the idea of having people wanting you dead, after all.

Oh well. He'd learn, whether he liked it or not.

Glancing back to make sure he was following, I began walking closer to the town.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"We're going to the town. Need to get some supplies. You took so long whining that they've probably almost caught up by now." I quickened my pace. "Hurry up, I c- I won't wait for anyone." I quickly corrected myself. I could technically wait for him. But I won't bother.

"Won't we be surrounded either way?" Papyrus asked.

"Less monsters in Waterfall. If we get supplies, we can camp there." I explained simply, keeping in mind the monsters of Waterfall weren't hard to kill.

"Undyne will be there, and she'll freak out if she realized I'm gone!" He paused for a moment, before saying, "Flowey said-"

"Wait, how do you know his name?" I questioned, my suspicions arising stronger than ever. They were working together. They had to be! That's why Flowey didn't answer, right?

"Er... not important??" Papyrus grinned nervously, only adding to my theory that the two worked together. At the very least, they used to. "As I was saying about him, he said that to become broken, they need to be killed by you... well, he did say killing myself might work, but I don't think that happened ever?" If he needed air, I'm sure he would've taken a deep breath before continuing. "Did... did you kill anyone in Waterfall?"

My pace slowed.

"Only ones that attacked me first." That wasn't a complete lie. I may as well tell him close to the truth, because he'd find out anyways eventually, probably. I killed those who approached me, not those I had to approach, like Shyren and the shopkeepers. And Nabstablook and the Mad Dummy. Because those two are basically immortal. Monster Kid was an exception. Even though he attacked first, I had a bad feeling about killing him, so I let him live. And, uh, I didn't know much, if anything, about Temmies before Papyrus took me to their village, so I didn't kill any of them. Aside from that, I think I killed everyone in Waterfall that I could.

Papyrus was silent for a moment, and I sped up in case he was thinking of attacking me. Papyrus didn't attack though.

"So... you spared the ones that didn't attack you first?" He asked.

"Yes." I nodded, not bothering to look back at him. We needed to hurry, speed-walking wouldn't cut it. I started to run ahead, Papyrus following. The thing is, Papyrus was basically just speed-walking. He was much taller than me, so every step he took, I had to take, like, 2 or 3. It got annoying, but thankfully, he stayed behind me. I hoped it was simply out of respect, or maybe fear, but it could just be that he didn't care enough to speed up.

"... Thank you."

I nearly tripped over my own shoes. Thankfully, Papyrus continued without making a comment about it.

"We should probably go find Sans. He'll help us. And he's probably worried, I mean, our house is destroyed!"

"No way!" I hissed. "He'll kill me! Didn't you see the look in his eye when I last saw him? He was about to murder me!" I shouted. "Besides, he probably won't listen to you. I'm guessing no one knows you're in Snowdin?"

"Well, if they did notice, they would've called me." I heard Papyrus checking his phone. "... Oops."

"Let me guess, they called you?"

"Yeah, I turned my phone to silent, and forgot to change it." Papyrus explained. Papyrus dialed a number and called someone, walking ahead a bit and motioning for me to be quiet and head to the forest. Since he was the only one I could even hope to trust right now, I agreed. I tried to listen to the conversation, but I could only hear Papyrus' voice. "Yeah? Sorry I didn't answer the first time, I must've accidentally put my phone on silent.... no need to shout, I'm fine... Looking for the human... Snowdin-"

I mouthed, 'don't tell'

Papyrus hesitated, then continued, "Snowdin looks fine. I've looked high and low! ... Yes, of course I'm sure!... You'd think I'd know a human when I see one, guys..."

He must be on some sort of group chat, as he seemed to be speaking to more than one person.

"Don't worry, I'm fine! No, no. Don't come to Snowdin. Yes, both me and Undyne checked Waterfall! Right, Undyne?"

I guessed he was speaking to Undyne and Sans.

"Exactly! They must be hiding somewhere in Hotland. You know how annoying those puzzles can be, she's probably got herself trapped in one of the puzzles... Well, it's not my job to check those puzzles, but I seriously doubt they malfunctioned... yes, of course I checked the puzzles in Snowdin! ... Sans, what do you think? ... What? I'm fine! Just on edge, of course, for obvious reasons. Nothing the great Papyrus can't handle! ... Of course. ... Yeah, I'll be there soon, I just need to check some things first. I'll call you... no, no. ... yes.... ok... Yes, I told you already. I'll call you back... bye."

Finally, the call ended. The skeleton let out a sigh. I knew he felt bad for lying to his friends... a feeling I'd never quite understand, as lying seemed to be half of my vocabulary. I jogged over to him. Ignoring the fact that he was still shaking, I urged him to hurry up. He put his phone away, then followed me to Snowdin.

"Huh? What's that?" He suddenly asked, his eyesockets noticing a bag hidden partially in the ground. I walked over to it, picking it up and looking and the contents inside. I knew right away it was from the broken dog warrior I saw earlier. The bag was filled with Puppydough Icecream, and a bag of what looked to be onion rings, but 'Pumpkin Rings' instead.

"Supplies. Probably poisoned, but we can use them as a last resort. It's filled with Puppydough Icecream and Pumpkin Rings... oh, and an onion? It's not making me cry, though." I explained.

Papyrus didn't answer.

"What?"

The tall skeleton shook his head. "Nothing, let's keep going. We won't need more supplies."

"But-"

"It'll just be annoying to carry those around. We won't get anything more. They aren't poison, I can tell." He explained.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, but you're eating these first. If you're wrong, well, I won't have to kill you myself. And if we run out of supplies, I'll kill you."

"Won't I become-"

"I'll seriously hurt your and tape your damn jaw shut, got that?" I hissed.

"Sure." Papyrus rolled his eyesockets (somehow) and kept speed-walking. "Undyne said she'd be in Waterfall if I took too long. I'm supposed to meet up with them." He said eventually.

I slowed my pace. "What then?"

"... I'll meet with them, and prove that I'm ok, then I'll convince them to let me patrol Snowdin until we think of a better idea." Papyrus explained. "I won't let you hurt Undyne or Sans, so I advise you to stay here."

I nodded. If I did hurt either of them, Papyrus would definitely quit helping me, so killing either of them wouldn't be a good idea. He was probably only helping me because I had let him live so far, anyways.

"Will they let you patrol alone?" I asked.

"Sans will probably come with me. Don't worry, though. You'll be fine."

I did NOT want to encounter Sans again... but it seems I have no choice for now. "Alright." I sighed.

"Hide in the town." Papyrus instructed. Without another word, he ran towards Waterfall, leaving me alone in the ghost town.


	24. The Ghost Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Finally starting to get to a point I can copy/paste most of the text with adjustments here and there :'DDD

I waited for a fair while. I roamed silently around the town, but it seemed like in every corner, I'd hear something, or see something in the corner in my eye. I was going to listen to him, as I didn't want to get on anyone's bad side... but I felt like I was going crazy in that stupid town. I knew Papyrus was in Waterfall by now, so, as quiet as possible, I began to flee towards Waterfall, still holding my bag of items. Soon, though, I realized they were just a hassle, so I hid them under a deceased tree, covered by snow. Maybe not the best decision on my part, but at least I won't have to drag around a noisy bag of items.

Along the way, I found Papyrus' footprints in the snow. Realizing that if I followed, I'd leave my own footprints behind, which they could use to find me. So, therefor, I only stepped where the snow was flattened, which happened to be Papyrus' footprints.

The thing is, it wasn't exactly easy. Apparently he was running, because his footprints were far apart. I had to practically jump from footprint to footprint. I felt like a total fool, and it got annoying quickly. Not only that, time was running short. Going through the fog was even more difficult. It was near impossible to see the footprints below me, and it felt as if someone was watching me. I tried to get out of the fog quickly.

When I finally hit solid ground, I felt relieved, yet alert. Papyrus and his allies must be close by. Hiding myself in the corner, I looked around carefully. I thought I could make out shapes from the darkness, but I heard no voices, and whenever I thought I saw something, it'd be gone as soon as I turned to look directly at it. I didn't know if these shapes were my imagination or not, but either way, it was freaking me out. Waterfall seemed darker than usual, and the waves were louder, making it hard to hear voices.

Gathering my courage, I slowly walked forward, hoping the sound of the waves would hide the sound of my footsteps. Unfortunately, Waterfall had few places to hide, especially in this beginning area. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea... but better than dealing with a bunch of angry glass-monster-freaks.

Thinking I heard something ahead, I ducked down and listened. Just the waves. Mentally facepalming myself, I kept going, the familiar feeling of dread lurking over me.

Nothing.

I checked the sentry post.

Nothing.

 _Have they gone to Hotland?_ I wondered nervously. I knew the time was ticking, and if I waited around too long, Papyrus... or maybe even something else might realize I was here. I also didn't want to stay long, considering how one of the few monsters left in Waterfall, or maybe even the broken ones (if those still exist in Waterfall. I assume so?) could find me. I could probably fight them back, but if being 'broken' made it harder to kill them, or maybe even impossible, since they're apparently already dead (sort of?), that would be very difficult. Realizing I was lost in thought, I mentally scolded myself, and began speed-walking ahead. The waves grew quieter, and as they did, my pace gradually slowed until I was at a completely stop. _Maybe I should just turn back._ I thought, _Going deeper into Waterfall will be dangerous._

Then, I wondered, _Is it worth it? If I catch up, I might be able to learn more information, and make sure Papyrus isn't betraying me. Also, if I do successfully keep myself hidden, even though they can't see me, I won't be completely alone. Yet, I have a higher chance of getting caught._ I shook my head, _Why should I be worrying about being alone?! I'm not a stupid 2-year old demanding attention!_ I mentally scolded myself. Pressing my back against a wall, I continued to think. _If I go back, then I have a chance of being caught by the broken ones in Snowdin, however, I shouldn't be caught by the others._ Recalling that Sans could teleport, or at least has several odd shortcuts, and the fact that he'd probably be going back to Snowdin with Papyrus, a wave of panic fell over me. _What if Sans is already back at Snowdin? What if Papyrus is there too?_ In my panic, I didn't stick around to continue thinking. I ran back, not caring if I was heard.

Keeping my footsteps swift and, for the most part, quiet, I continued on. I felt, again, like someone... no, more than just one thing was watching me. I ran faster as I could hear the waves, and I trusted them to hide the sound of me running.

_Step, step, step._

I hoped those footsteps were simply echoes of my own.

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock._

Though there was no clock to be heard, time was still running short.

_Click, click._

A sound in the darkness, or was that sound coming from me?

_Hhhhhhhh._

I hoped that sound was coming from me.

Finally, as it seemed things kept getting worse and worse, I reached the light at the... beginning of Waterfall's tunnel, technically. Relieved, I almost stepped onto the snow, then stopped. The footprints were the same. Though painfully time-consuming (and difficult because of the fog), I stepped from one footprint to the other. Now calmer, I realized that my little mission had failed. Dammit. Though I didn't have the information I wanted, and I had no clue where Papyrus is, I convinced myself that it was just fine. I'd survived alone before. I'd be fine!

After a tedious trek back, I found the bag of items I'd left behind. Picking them up and making sure everything was in order, I walked back into the town. Papyrus, nor Sans, were anywhere to be seen.

Where the heck did they go?!

Though happy that Sans was nowhere to be found, my mind kept drifting off to Papyrus, my only possible ally at this point.

Pressing my back against what happened to be the left half of their destroyed home, I sat down, the wind the only sound aside from the rustling of the bag as I placed it down. The eerie silence and anticipation felt like it was driving me insane.

I felt... lost. But I knew I couldn't just sit here. I had to do something.


	25. The Canine Unit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yooo third chapter today! Maybe if I can get this done super quick I'll do a forth?
> 
> Also, at the beginning of the chapter, Frisk mentions that, 'the wind seemed to be calling out to (her), to (well, read the beginning of the chapter'. This may not look significant at first, but it's actually a forth wall break that'll keep growing as the series progresses. You'll see. The 'wind' is actually the comment section of the original DA version, urging her to make certain decisions!

I picked the bag up once more. The wind seemed as if it was calling out to me, to go back to Snowdin Forest. For who knows what reason, I listened. I hid the bag in the same hiding place as before, and grabbed a stick, with many pine needles on it. My plan was to drag it behind me, so that it'd be harder to trace my footsteps. Holding the stick behind me, I let it trail gently along the ground as I walked.

Is this a good idea? I couldn't help but wonder. Since there seemed to be no one around, I let my thoughts drift. I decided on three things.

1\. Leave something behind to mark my path.

I thought this because I wouldn't be able to follow my own footsteps easily, and if I sidetracked into an unfamiliar part, I didn't want to deal with that. But with what? I grabbed a sharp stick in the forest, and stabbed every few trees as I walked, leaving a small dent in the wood. I could also use this as a weapon.

2\. Don't travel too far.

Though I'm leaving a path behind, it's not a good idea to go too far, just in case.

3\. Be careful and alert.

In my current situation, I must try to be as careful and alert as possible. Watch out for signs of danger: Things breaking, trees falling, sounds of glass... the usual. Not only that, keep an eye and/or ear out for Papyrus, or any other non-broken monsters.

With those three things in mind, I picked up the pace a bit, looking around as I speed-walked. The entire forest seemed dead silent. My thoughts drifted to the first broken monster I encountered: that froggit. It turned to dust shortly after I saw it. I hoped the rest would be the same.

The cold began to slowly get more unbearable. At least there weren't many high winds in the underground. Honestly, though, I wanted to be inside, or somewhere warm. At least I'd been exercising a lot, which made it feel warmer. Eventually, the forest started to get thicker, and harder to navigate. Not wanting to get lost, I made my way to the edge of the town. I could see that stupid bridge from here. Curious if Papyrus went there, I made my way over.

I won't lie, the thought of the fall if the bridge somehow broke terrified me. I didn't like heights.

Maybe I should just go wait in Snowdin....

I shook my head. I needed to stop being a wimp.

Stepping cautiously onto the bridge, I didn't dare look down.

 _It'll be fine, Frisk._ I mentally grumbled at myself, _Stop being a wimp._

I continued walking, one step at a time, until I finally got off the bridge. I breathed out a sigh of relief, then kept walking. Unlike the forest, this pathway was much more out in the open. Easier for me to see monsters... but also easier for them to see me.

I saw the dog house, and the snow poffs. No one here. I wanted to turn back, but then it'd feel like I'd failed. Again. Shaking my head, I continued on.

Walking past the snow poffs, I gazed into the tunnel ahead of me. I knew that it was purely ice, then it'd just be backtracking from there. Not wanting to backtrack too far, I placed down my stick, then, I instead slipped down the steep hill, which I'd fell down a while ago. Looking ahead...

Well shit. I messed up.

There were the 3 Ice Caps, Snowdrake and Chilldrake from before, gathered together. I began to back away, until I heard a huff. Turning around, I saw, well, an entire pack of broken dogs.

In the very front stood... one I don't know the name of. The one that could only see moving things. I stood still as stone, or at least tried too, but I was shaking. I guess this dog knew I hadn't tried to run off, as he still looked directly at me despite my best efforts. I should give him a name. I'll call him... er... Flash. Why not.

I don't remember their names well, but... Dog... I feel like his name was a mix of 'Dog' and 'Jaamie' or something similar. I'll just call him 'Aamie' for now. Pronounced Ah-me.

The other dog, I remembered, was married to 'Aamie'. Again, I don't remember her name. Something similar to Melissa, so I'll call her that. 'Melissa'.

In the very back were, uh, two dogs. Again. Both of them seemed to be male. One's neck was very long, and broken in several places. The other dog's armor was severely cracked, and his neck was shorter. This one was the one that hid in the snow poff. I'll call him Snowdog. The long-neck one I'll call... uh... Giraffe.

My heart racing, I felt sick. The dog pack was moving forward. The teenagers behind me moved forward too. Without thinking, I dove past the dogs, and jumped onto the steep slope, leading to my escape. The dogs howled, and one bit my leg. Giraffe. Angrily, I kicked it in the face. It let out a loud whimper, and the others let out cries of anger. Making my way through the slope, I heard the skittering of pawsteps behind me, trying to follow me. Eventually, Flash pounced and clawed my back, his claws digging into my back where my shirt had been cut open by MK. He snarled loudly, grabbing one of two swords from his belt, and attempting to stab my shoulder with it. I moved out of the way just in time, the sword digging into the snow. If we were alone, I would've purposefully fallen backwards, and land on top of him to pin him down, give myself the advantage. But I knew if I tried to do that now, 10 broken monsters would all pounce on me, and kill me. Literally death by dog pile, then?

While I was pausing to think, Flash pulled his sword out of the snow and pointed it at my back. I rolled over, pushing my back against the snow. Though I knew it'd cause me to fall, I had a plan. I used my back legs to throw Flash off, forcing him to hit Giraffe. Giraffe let out a pained yelp as Flash hit his neck. His neck, already horribly broken before, snapped off completely. What seemed to be... some sort of black liquid with... it seemed to be something written inside? Like a secret code? It poured out of him, and I was both intrigued and terrified. I wanted, so badly, to get a better look, to see what it said, but he quickly faded to dust, and I knew I couldn't risk sliding back down to try and investigate anyways.

As the dogs' horrified screams and cries filled the air, and Flash's sobs of apology and sorrow rang through my ears, I turned around, seeing my chance to escape.

Oh no.

Doge stared down, horrified. What seemed to be tears streamed down her face, but instead of tears, they seemed to be a similar, strange liquid. It emitted a strange, hissing sound, like a broken TV. I swear, I could see flashes of static blur whatever was written inside the strange liquid that poured down her glass body. She'd seen everything. I'd just killed one of her allies, hadn't I? Well, I didn't kill him. I made Flash kill him. Either way, though, he was dead, and this time, dead for good.

Expecting her to attack, I dove towards her, hissing. Doge, instead, ran off. Looking behind me, the dog pack was still mourning, but the teenagers were now following me, looking more enraged than ever. I took off. Seeing no choice, I screamed, "HELP!". It pained me to call out that, as I hated 'help'. I thought I didn't need help to survive. But I guess I stayed with my gang for a reason, didn't I? I didn't have the strength to survive alone down here, not when several broken monsters were all trying to kill me at the same time. I was so tired at this point, never really getting a proper rest since before the fight with MK.

I was tempted to give up. I couldn't do this.

Still, I was determined. I had a little bit of hope. If I could only make it to the town...!

Wait. 3 figures were at the end of the bridge. Doge, some sort of cat-like monster I didn't recognize, and some sort of mantis-like monster I didn't know either. All broken, though I didn't recall killing any of the three. Were they killed by a different human?

My determination felt like it was completely gone. I collapsed before I hit the bridge, crying and screeching for help, the small glimmer of hope that Papyrus might hear me still keeping me going.

Angered cries filled the air behind me.

But, my calls for help were answered.


	26. Fight for You and I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title is a reference to the song 'Fight' by the band 'All good things'!
> 
> (Fight like you'll never die  
> Fight to stay alive  
> Fight to raise the crown  
> Fight to take me down  
> Fight like you're gods and monsters  
> Because you want to  
> To save a life  
> Fight for you and I!)
> 
> Lotta fighting in this chapter if you can't tell already oops
> 
> Yaaaay, this is the... fourth chapter I believe, today? I'll be able to update this much quicker now! I might do one more chapter later today, but don't count on it -w-"

My eyes were on the verge of watering, but I forced myself to stop. I tried to stand up again, but I had no energy. I couldn't fight, I couldn't run. I collapsed once again, hiding behind Papyrus. I had no choice now. I had to trust him, or I'd die. Papyrus turned around, and whispered, "When I give the signal, scream." Some of the other monsters craned their necks to try and listen, but I don't think any of them heard it over the sound of heavy breathing, and the wind. I assumed I'd know the signal when I saw it or felt it, because Papyrus never told me what exactly that signal was. Papyrus turned back to the other monsters. The dog pack was in the distance, running here, with 'Giraffe' no where to be seen, as expected. In total, not counting the monsters waiting on the other side of the bridge, there were 9 broken monsters. Counting the ones over at the bridge, there were 12.

12 monsters, 9 of which for sure want me, and possibly Papyrus, dead.

Great.

Papyrus looked at all the monsters, then spoke calmly, "Don't fight. I, the great Papyrus, have some things to say to you all first." Surely he couldn't have any confidence in these monsters, right? Then again, I suppose he had a little confidence in me. I'm sure he'd have more right now if I wasn't about to fall asleep right then and there. No way could I defend myself, let alone both of us at the moment. I felt myself doze off, but I had to stay awake. I couldn't do much, but maybe adrenaline could help me just for a second. That's my lame excuse, anyways.

"Why should we listen to you, numbskull?" Chilldrake taunted. "You're siding with a murderer."

"Join us, I'm sure you'll have a _blast_ of a time!" Snowdrake summoned an attack. The attack was wavering, and looked like his normal attack, but made out of glass shards. So I guess that lame pun was supposed to be a threat? Papyrus didn't even flinch.

"Trust me, we don't have to fight. The human doesn't want to fight you anymore! They spared me, and they'd spare you too."

"After they pushed me into Lesser Dog, and made me kill a member of my own pack?!" Flash shouted, spinning his swords in his paws. So 'Giraffe's' name was Lesser Dog? .. I'll stick to calling him Giraffe. Not out loud though, that could be taken badly. I guess, when speaking, I'd try to refer to him as what they called him, or just not say his name at all.

Papyrus shook his head. "Hey, I'm sure they didn't mean it. After all, they didn't directly kill-"

Snowdog barked angrily. What did they call Snowdog? Probably something similar to Lesser Dog. Whatever, I'll still call him Snowdog.

"Are you blaming me for Lesser Dog's death?" Flash accused.

"No, that's not what I meant! Trust me, just calm down, I want to talk."

"I don't think we want to do that, Papyrus." Chilldrake, Snowdog, Melissa, Aamie and Flash stepped forward. Flash was in the middle, Snowdog to his right, Chilldrake to his left. Melissa was in the back right, and Aamie to her left. Melissa was the one who spoke, "Give up the human and join us, or else-"

I guess Papyrus had no intent to listen to what she said, as he gently but purposefully kicked my shoulder. That must be the signal. I shakily stepped forward and screamed as loud as I could, my voice startling them. I collapsed again, now mostly behind, but a little bit to the side of Papyrus. I was no longer fully hidden, so I weakly crawled back. I hated this, not having any energy. This is my own fault though, I suppose. I didn't want to rest, and now I'm stuck.

I noticed Sans was watching from a distance. Did he hear, and teleport? He must've, as I didn't notice him until now.

Sans summoned... what the bloody 'ell was that?! It looked like some sort-of... weird... dragon-skull-thing, with glowing blue eyes. It looked badass, and extremely dangerous. However, Sans seemed to change his mind, because the dragon-skull-thing disappeared, replaced with several bones. The attack was heading straight for Melissa.

The pack stood in the way, with Snowdog in the lead. Snowdog let out a cry of pain, but the other dogs seemed unfazed, and Melissa completely untouched. Melissa held Aamie's hand, presumably in fear. Aamie nodded to her, probably signaling that he was alright.

Snowdog fell to the ground, wailing, and Flash rushed over. Snowdog only seemed to be in pain because his armor was basically caving in on himself.

Doge was watching intently from a distance, the two strangers behind her. The teens watched cautiously, ready to attack us or Sans if needed. Snowdog jumped out of his armor, revealing a much smaller dog. His body was badly broken, especially his stomach, and he had no emotion in his eyes at all, and it almost looked like he had none at all, but vaguely, I could see his eyes. Very vaguely. But he wasn't yet dust.

Sans flinched, and stepped back. He seemed surprised. Did he expect to one-hit kill? Probably, the attack did look very powerful, and the attack kind of caused the already ruined armor to cut into Snowdog, but it as still quite dumb of him to not have a back-up plan. Or maybe that as his plan. To not kill anyone, I mean. A silly plan, but believable I suppose. Maybe the first attack that he cancelled was powerful enough to kill, which wasn't his intent.

I couldn't help but wonder why the entire pack stepped up to help Melissa, though. Was she hiding something? Did those fools even have a strategy in mind? This information could surely prove useful if I knew the answer. Then again, it was likely they viewed her as a pack leader, maybe? After all, she did speak up to say they had no interest in talking this out. Either way, just in case, I kept in mind to spare Melissa, and possibly Aamie too, until I could figure it out. I curled into a little ball, feeling like I was doing to doze off again. The cold air woke me, though. The cut on the back of my shirt, and my short-sleeves against the cold ground didn't help. Then again, I suppose it's good, as I wouldn't want to miss the events of this fight. Surely I'd be able to sleep after. Well, I guess it wouldn't matter, I'd sleep anyways soon, possibly permanently. That's the thing that scared me the most.

Papyrus summoned light blue bones, and surrounded us with it. "Stay back." He warned gently.

Sans shot Papyrus a brief glare. Probably peeved that Papyrus was risking a lot by protecting me. Ah, shoot. Would I have to fight Sans after this? Again, I had no choice but to trust Papyrus. I hated putting my trust in someone, but I had no other choice. I was too exhausted to fight. I'd force myself to step in if the skeletons seemed to be loosing the fight, of course, I wasn't useless... but I wasn't going to move unless I absolutely had to. I now wondered why I thought exploring the forest would be a better idea than taking a nap.

Chilldrake, followed by the teens, surrounded us. Flash and Chilldrake looked directly at Papyrus. They wanted him to die. The rest of the teens seemed to be biding their time, awaiting Papyrus' magic to run out before killing me. Snowdog, Aamie and Melissa were heading towards Sans. 

Papyrus, reluctanly, got rid of the blue magic around himself, but kept the blue magic surrounding me. As if on cue, Flash and Chilldrake lunged. Snowdrake whispered to the 3 Ice Caps, then fled to help his friend. The 3 Ice Caps all circled around me, ready to strike. Forcing myself to trust the blue magic, I couldn't help but to close my eyes, not daring to open them to continue watching the fight.

(Papyrus' POV)

 _The human is just resting. They'll be fine._ I told myself, making sure to keep that blue attack strong, or the Ice Caps would attack. Couldn't they tell, I didn't want to hurt anyone? Can't they tell the human is too weak to kill them? Why are they acting this way? Why are they attacking me? Sure, none of us were ever great friends. But I was, and am still, a guard-in-training. They should be working with me, not against me!

Then again, I was kind of betraying them by protecting a human, the very thing we long to capture.

Protecting the human was much harder than I first thought.

"We don't have to fight!" I cried out, trying to convince them to stop. "Please, I believe we can-"

"Shut it, bones." Chilldrake sneered, as Snowdrake fluttered forth and launched an attack. I swiftly dodged. Greater Dog tried to bite at my legs, and instinctively, I kicked him away, right where he was broken most. He let out a yelp.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed. Greater Dog growled, then looked over to his pack and my brother. After a brief hesitation, he fled there. I turned back my attention to Frisk. She was still resting, and the Ice Caps still looking at her like she was a next meal. A shiver went down my spine, and I let the blue magic fade for just a moment. As they jumped forward, I re-summoned the magic. They emitted freaked-out yelps and ran back. They were shaking. I felt bad for them-

And, as my attention was turned, I was shot with several shards of magic glass. I screeched with the sudden pain, and finally started to attack. I didn't want to do this, so I'd go easy on them. All I had to do was get a hold of their soul...

But I couldn't. I knew they had one from the way they behaved. Sure, they were meaner than usual, but they still cared. So why couldn't I get a hold on it? I couldn't waste time trying, I went to plan B. I shot out simple, easy to dodge attacks. Slowly, they began to back up from me. I heard loud snarling behind me, but I couldn't divide my attention between three things.

I heard a howl.

Everyone stopped.

4 pairs of footsteps ran towards the battlefield.

Ice Wolf? Why was he here? The others were... I quickly looked away. Despite not receiving an attack, I felt pain.

Ice Wolf and the she-dog bounded over to the pack. The she-dog and the pack barked back and forth, Ice Wolf (I don't know his actual name) occasionally letting out short yips or howls. Eventually, Ice Wolf picked up the injured Greater Dog, and the entire pack fled. The cat guardswoman went over to Frisk, and the mantis guardswomen went over to me. She beckoned the two birds towards her, then suddenly chased them off into the forest. The cat did the same to the Ice Caps. Without a word, the guardswomen followed the others. Without much of an explanation, the four of them quickly stopped the fight, despite seemingly being on the broken monster's side.

"What the hell was that?" Sans yelled, directed mostly at me. I flinched.

"I-"

"You nearly got yourself killed, and because of you, I had to deal with a frickin' army of dogs bitin' at my slippers!"

"It's not my fault!" I argued back.

"If you'd just-"

"I did nothing wrong! Everyone's still alive-"

"They're not alive, Papyrus!" Sans snapped. He was on the verge of tears. "All of my friends are either hiding or... or one of those damn broken things!" He yelled. I heard Frisk move around in the snow. I stopped using the blue magic, realizing it was no longer needed. Sans noticed. "Papyrus, we should have killed the human! She caused all this!"

"And she can stop it, too. If she caused it, she'll-" I tried to reason.

"No, no she won't!" Sans was crying now. I felt like complete crap. I'd let my brother down. I'd let the Royal Guard down. Sans was quiet for a moment as he looked at Frisk. "The more you hate something, the easier it is to destroy it." He looked back at me, his voice raising once again. "But no matter how much you love someone, you can NEVER bring them back from the dead!" He yelled. He was shaking. My jaw dropped at the outburst. "Don't you see, Papyrus?! No matter what you do, no matter if the human has a change of heart or not, she still killed them, and we can never get them back!"

"Sans, I-"

But he was gone, and my words were carried away with the wind.

I looked back at the human. So weak, so frail. Defenseless. It was hard to see her as a killer like this.

"You could end it all now, Papyrus." It was Flowey. "Kill her. Just think of how much good would come from it! No one else would die because of her. You and Sans would be happy again. And the Royal Guard? Don't get my started!" He came closer. "You'd be so popular, Papyrus!"

"No."

Flowey laughed. "Heh. Well, I'll take that as a maybe, friend. You'll see what good will come from this someday. But, Papyrus, as your friend? I ask you to please consider what I've said." I turned around just as he fled into the earth once more. I looked back down at Frisk, finding myself moving closer.

I just stared. Flowey's words ringing in my skull. Finally snapping out of it, I stepped back, shaking my head. No! I couldn't do this! Flowey was wrong! This human could be saved!

...

But...

Even with this...

I found myself starting not to care.


	27. The Lost House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still Papyrus' POV since human is like half-dead because she basically gave up and let the skeletons fight instead of helping literally at all e-e
> 
> Also the voices Papyrus hears are, again, the comment section ^^ (Can't wait until I fully update this to the DA version... which should be finished by next weekend if I'm quick! Then you guys can help make the final decision...)

No. I would not allow myself to think like that. I'd patch up the human, then I'd prove to Sans that this is a good thing! The past is the past, I can't change it now.

Yet, at times like this, I won't deny that a tiny part of me that I constantly try to hide... just wants there to be a 'reset' button. So we could go back.

But that's all fantasy. I had to focus on the matter at hand.

In the wind, I swore I heard something, and thoughts came to mind.

_... Frisk needs to get patched up...._

_... things are getting harder...._

_... Papyrus... Sans... Undyne... Asgore's Castle...._

I shook my head. Why was I thinking like this? Like I was hearing whispers of a conversation I should've never heard. Yet, I found myself listening.

I picked up the human, and brought her back to town. Though clearly awake at first, making me worry she heard our entire argument but was simply pretending to sleep,it didn't take long before she was undoubtedly asleep, nearly limp in my arms. My worry began to grow. I hated that feeling, but I'd been doing it a lot more lately.

Then, I found myself going over what Sans had said. I soon came to the realization that, before the human came around, I was... happier. More carefree. Barely worried about a thing. I wasn't lying to try and keep what few friends I had. I wasn't worrying about which monster would die next. I wasn't watching over a murderer.

I was innocent. Innocent to the reality of what damage a young human could cause. Innocent to how quickly our home could be destroyed.

Searching for comfort, I held the sleeping human close.

I didn't want _this._

I never wanted this.

But it was too late.

I felt more alone than I ever had before. So, I decided then and there. I'd fix this. I'd fix all of this. No matter what, I'd make sure no one else will die. Not even the human.

No other monster should ever have to go through this. No one should ever have to go through this.

Carrying the human passed the bridge, we soon entered the town. Preferring to stay out of sight at this moment, I used the underground... er, further underground tunnels? To get quickly to the other side of the town, avoiding most of the cold and moving quicker that way, completely out of sight from anyone that might be watching.

I stepped into the house. Split directly down the middle, separating my room from Sans'. The stairs to my room were also cracked, making it harder to get to. My room was basically completely separated from the rest of the house. After all... Sans could just use his shortcuts to get to his room. While I'm sure I could have that ability as well, I long ago deemed it a 'lazy' power, reasoning that I could just run to wherever I needed to go. I never realized how useful of a power it could be. Instead of focusing on that decision I made long ago, to 'not bother with such a lazy power', I simply learned how to get places as quickly as possible, whether through actual shortcuts, running, parkour, and other such things, a lot of which I improved even more through guard training. So, I wouldn't bother trying to learn that ability now, especially not in this current situation.

For a moment, my mind thought if funny that my room was so separated from the rest of the house, comparing it to my current situation. Quickly, though, I shook my head. I had to stop thinking this way! Nothing separates the Great Papyrus from his friends! Not a human, not broken monsters. Nothing.

I instinctively almost went up to my room, but I realized that if we fell through the stairs, the human could get seriously hurt. So, instead, I walked over the line that split our house. This line was so... unnatural, like a perfectly cooked disaster if that makes sense. What I'm trying to say is, this broken house was not an accident. Whoever or whatever caused it wanted this on purpose. But how could that be so? Who had that kind of power? I, the Great Papyrus, decided not to think about it. I placed Frisk carefully on the couch. It was torn up and messy, with many stains on it and the springs were broken, but it was better than the cold floor. I then facepalmed. Skullgloved? Most of the healing supplies and blankets were in my room. Nothing the Great Papyrus can't handle!

I walked over to the stairs. Keeping a firm grip on the railing, I made my way up. It started to creak under my weight. Which was barely anything, since I'm a skeleton. I sighed, realizing the stairs seemed quite angry about my beloved battle body. Feeling a little betrayed by the complaints of the stairs, I decided to simply remove the top of the armor, since no one else was awake in the house anyways. I could probably just jump from there to the railing on the second floor and pull myself up, but if the unstable railings snapped, that could be a rather painful experience for little gain.

Thankfully, the stairs' complaints were much more quiet this time, and I couldn't help but be thankful that I was a skeleton, since I didn't weigh much at all.

Making my way into my room, I grabbed supplies that I wanted to bring. Some were simple things, like pictures or items I was attached too, and others were more survival things, like bandages, ice (which there was basically an infinite supply of outside, but it may come in handy in Waterfall. Or maybe in Hotland, if it melts and someone needs a drink of water.), and a few blankets... you get the drill. I put them all in a large box. I glanced at the box filled with magic bones, then left without a speaking a word.

Using a rope wrapped around the box, I lowered the box down to the lower floor, then quickly jumped after it, rolling and landing rather painlessly at the bottom. Proud at my great plan, I stood for a moment to let myself, well, be proud. Then, I put my battle body back on, and put the box beside the couch. Wait, didn't Frisk have a bag of food supplies? That'd help, considering I couldn't really cook without the power being on in my house. Hopefully it was still on in Undyne's house, maybe I'd be able to cook there! I 'nyeh'd' in laughter at the thought, cheering myself up a bit. I stepped out of the house to go look for the supplies. Thankfully, it wasn't to hard to find, hidden under a broken tree. Once returning home, I put the bag of supplies on top of the box.

"Hey."

I jumped, startled. "OH! Er..." I laughed, a bit nervously. "HEY SANS!" I accidentally spoke too loud. The human shifted, but quickly fell back asleep.

Sans looked at the human, then at the supplies. "Crazy what happened to the house, amirite?" He seemed to be avoiding the subject of the human or what happened earlier.

I nodded, lowering my voice. "I got some stuff from my room, just in case. You should do the same too." I advised casually. Something seemed wrong though. I knew we were both holding back the subject. I didn't want to hide things from my brother.

"Mhm." He said simply. I was about to tell him to wait, but he'd already used his before-mentioned powers to flee to his room. I used this time to wrap any of the human's wounds in bandages, and cover her with a blanket. Perfectly executed, of course!

Eventually, Sans teleported back with his own box of stuff. He also had a white coat around his shoulders, a lab coat. I haven't seen him wear it since...

Anyways, I smiled. "You can put the box beside mine for now." I offered. He placed the box down without a word, eyeing the human the entire time. "Hey... I'm sorry about what happened, brother." I sighed. "I just... I just want things to be happy again. And killing the human wouldn't do that." Sans seemed like he was listening, so I continued. "Killing the human would simply make it so that the broken monsters win. Not only that, hurting her in anyway would only make the anger and hate here grow. I don't want to see that. I want to give her another chance."

"... Why do you think she deserves that?" Sans asked.

"Everyone does." I said simply. "She spared me. She spared MK. She spared other monsters, and, well, she hasn't killed you, and I'll make sure she never does tries. Wouldn't that be better? Having her on our side, then simply trying to dispose of her? It's... kind of like a fight, really. Ignoring the fight or starting it again doesn't help. Solving the argument is how to make things right again."

"You can't always do that." Sans murmured.

"Oh, throw me a bone here." Realizing what I said, I facepalmed/"skullgloved". For once, though, I was happy I accidentally made a pun. I knew it made Sans happy. Still, I let out a loud sigh. "Saaaaans."

"Hey, I wasn't the one who made the pun, verte-bro."

"... brother..." I just stared. Really Sans? Now, of all times? I realized I was smiling despite it. I couldn't stay mad at him after all. I just hoped he wouldn't stay mad at me. I shook my head. "As I was saying, I'm gonna try my hardest to solve this. No one else will get hurt if I can help it!"

"You never change, do you?" Sans commented. I assumed that was a good thing.

"That's not a bad thing in this case! THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOESN'T REQUIRE CHANGE!" I accidentally spoke too loudly again, but the human didn't wake up. "... But I can't really solve this conundrum alone. Help me, Sans? ... Please?" I smiled, my arms open, ready for a hug of acceptance.

"..." Sans gave me a brief hug. "I'll try, Papyrus."

"Thank y-"

A loud banging on the door. Oh, what now?! Sans' right eye had a blueish tint for a moment. I patted his back comfortingly, before making my way to the door. I didn't open it at first. I peaked out the window, but couldn't see anyone without making it too obvious I was looking out the window. I checked my phone. Undyne hadn't texted me, but I secretly hoped it wasn't her. The human needed to get better first.

"open the door?" Sans whispered. I nodded slowly, opening it as a knock came again.

A broken monster stood before us, a bit taller than me. She looked a bit like Asgore, but without the beard of course. Her horns were much smaller than Asgore's, and her body was severely broken. I looked back at Sans. Neither of us seemed to know exactly who she was.

Her voice was clear and confident, yet gentle and wise as she spoke. "I am Toriel, previous caretaker and guardian of the Ruins. May I ask, who are you?"


	28. Puns and Secrets

I was unsure of what to do. Sans spoke first.

"Calm down bro, I _goat_ this." Sans joked. "Hey... Toriel... I'm Sans. Sans the skeleton."

Toriel giggled a little bit. Despite the two introducing themselves... it felt like Sans and Toriel knew each other, but they didn't mention it, so I didn't bring it up either.

Still wincing a bit from the pun, I finally spoke up. "I'm the great Papyrus, what brings you here? Are you alright?" I purposefully acted a bit oblivious.

Toriel blinked. "Don't worry about me." She spoke calmly. She was shaking a tiny bit, despite that. "I'm just looking for something."

"Well, if you think we have anything valuable here, you must be _kid_ ding." I mentally screamed. "'Cause there's nothing here. Don't think about looking around either, or things will _goat_ serious."

"Sans. You've said 3 puns in the past minute, two of which were puns from the word goat! Stop!" I practically begged.

Toriel giggled. "So, you think this puns are _baaaaaad_?" The two laughed, "C'mon, Papyrus, your brother is just trying to be _humerus_!" I stared in disbelief at the two. Sans grinned like he won the lottery.

"Are you two done yet?" I tapped my foot impatiently.

"..." I could feel it. Sans was about to say a pun.

"Don't do it Sans." I warned.

"Alright, fine." Sans threw up his arms, for a second, I thought he actually gave up, until he said, "Whatever floats your _goat_!"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Of course, just my luck that our guest loved puns too. The two of them were nearly laughing their skulls off! At least they weren't fighting, and Toriel didn't seem to notice the human.

"ANYWAYS." I said loudly. "What are you looking for, anyways?"

"Oh, I was just..." She seemed a bit cautious. She glanced at Sans for a moment, and the two of them looked as if they both knew something I didn't. It annoyed me a little bit. She was a total stranger, yet it felt like Toriel and Sans had met before. "Have you seen the human?"

I tensed up a little. Sans spoke for me, thankfully. "Why would that be? Tryin'-ta hunt 'em down for something?" He asked.

"Oh, well, no actually." She shook her head. She pointed to herself. "I'm sure you've seen what happened to the other monsters around here. The Broken. I'm surprised you're not the same." She murmured. "They're looking to hunt the child down, yes. But I'm not."

"...Why?" I asked, being careful to make it unclear whether I was on the human's side or not.

"It's simply not my nature, I suppose." She shook her head. "The human killed me, like she killed so many others. I'm just wondering, I guess, if she's still alive."

"... She's alive, yes." I spoke vaguely as I could, not wanting to give away which side I was on, or where the human might be.

"Do you know where they are?" Toriel asked hopefully.

"Nope." Sans responded. Guess he knew I didn't like lying.

"Oh..." Toriel frowned. "I guess she moved onto Waterfall... I'll try that, thank you." She dipped her head, then walked off. I could see the broken Royal Guard members behind her. Not the dog pack who normally patrolled this area, though. They all wandered off.

"... think we just pushed away a potential ally?"

I shook my head. "No. If she really isn't interested in harming the human, she'll come back, I'm sure." I said simply. I glanced back at the human. Still fast asleep. "Do you think we should bring the human somewhere else?"

Sans suddenly seemed more sympathetic with the human, which struck me as odd. Did Toriel somehow change his mind? The thought angered me a little. What were they hiding from me? "We should keep her here for now. Bringing her to Waterfall, well, no. However, the others might suspect that she's here, despite us trying to disprove it to Toriel, so... once she wakes up, we'll go somewhere else."

I nodded. I, myself, felt a bit tired, but I didn't need sleep as much as most others. "You can rest for a bit if you'd like." I offered. I knew he needed to rest, especially after the fight not so long ago. Being a fragile as he was, he had to sleep a lot, which I understood. I'd often encourage him to work and not sleep, though, hoping it'd strengthen him. It never seemed to work. "I'll stay awake though."

"Oh. Alright, thanks." He nodded. He teleported somewhere, presumably his room. I leaned against a wall, staring absentmindedly at the window. This lasted for who knows how long, before I eventually fell asleep as well.

Upon waking, I jumped up. I hadn't meant to fall asleep! I looked to the human. She was still asleep. I carefully ran up the stairs. Trying my best to ignore how destroyed the house was, I made my way over to Sans' room. It was locked, of course. Should I wake him up? What if he's completely fine, and I wake him up for nothing? What if he's hurt? Why did I let myself fall asleep? I worried. Forcing myself to calm down, I went back down the stairs, the creaking of the stairs apparently loud enough to wake up the human. She emitted a groaning sound, followed by a thump. She fell off the couch. Real graceful, human. Well done. She quietly muttered an, 'ow'.

"Are you alright, human?"

"Y-Yeah... I had a weird dream." She commented.

"What was it about?" I asked.

She paused. "Can't remember. I just remember that it was weird." She said. I trusted her, so I nodded.

"Alright then. We'll wait for Sans to wake up, then we should probably leave."

The human groaned again. "Seriously? Already? How much energy do you have?" She half-growled. "We were ganged up on and nearly died, and you want to go outside? Now?"

She had a point, I guess. "We both just slept though." I pointed out. I was full of energy.

"I just woke up. Leave me alone." She spat, jumping back onto the couch. "Oh, and uh, thanks for not letting me die or whatever." She muttered after a brief pause. "I could've fought or ran but you guys seemed to be doing a good job of fighting them off, so thanks for letting me rest?"

"No problem, human!" I smiled.

She grabbed a pillow and covered her ears with it. I quickly felt bad. My voice was just naturally loud. I boredly walked around the house, preparing myself for the day. We had no food at the moment, and the power was out, so I couldn't cook to pass time like I often did when going outside wasn't an option for whatever reason. Eventually, Sans teleported near the couch. Frisk heard him and looked up. Surprised, she jumped up. The back of the couch caused her to trip and fall behind the couch, landing with a seemingly painful thud.

"... You ok?" Sans asked quietly.

Frisk glared. "Feeling just peachy, asshole!" She grumbled.

She picked herself up off the ground, keeping her distance from my brother. She was clearly in a bad mood. Lack of food, maybe? Remembering that we had food in one of the bags, I took out 3 pupsicles. "Anyone want a pupsicle?" I offered.

"Sure." Sans nodded, still half-glaring back at the human as he took one pupsicle.

Frisk blinked. "No, I'm gonna save my food for later."

"If you don't eat it, I will." Sans commented.

Frisk glared at him, then took a pupsicle. "Fine." She muttered. Only one pupsicle was left in my hand, though there was more in the bag. We all ate the pupsicle we had.

"... What happened while I was resting, anyways?" Frisk asked.

"Some monster named Toriel came by. She didn't know you were here, but she was looking for you. Aside from that, nothing much." I explained.

Frisk shivered. "...oh." She murmured, looking away.

Sans glared at her once again. I glared back at him, whispering, "Cut it out."

Sans quickly looked away.

Frisk spoke up again. "... are we staying here? Just sayin', if the broken ones wanted to attack again, this seems like one of the most obvious spots I could be."

"We will be going... I'm just wondering where."

"And how. Those broken monsters are everywhere, no thanks to you." Sans commented.

"Not my fault they attacked me!" Frisk shot back.

"They didn't know you were going to kill them!" Sans growled.

"Both of you, stop!" I practically roared. Both of them jumped, surprised by my anger. The two glared at each other one more time, then looked away, not saying another word. "Maybe you should stay here for a bit." I told the human. "Toriel didn't seem like she was going to harm you, so me and Sans could go outside and see what's going on. Who knows, we might even get a bit of help!" I said optimistically, my anger fading away.

"Yeah, let's trust a broken monster. Y'know, the monsters that tried to kill all of us? Uh-huh, real smart move there, captain." The human muttered sarcastically. She didn't seem to like Toriel at all, completely unwilling to accept her help.

"Smarter than making even more enemies." Sans commented.

Frisk crossed her arms, but didn't bother to reply.

"Human, are you ok with staying here yourself for a bit? Me and Sans should probably go and find her again." I commented.

"What do you think I am, a toddler? Of course I can stay here myself!" Frisk exclaimed.

"Well you certainly act like one sometimes." Sans growled.

My bones rattled. Both of them kept quiet, they knew I'd yell if they continued. I stood up, and, without another word, opened the front door. Sans quickly followed behind me, leaving the human alone. Hopefully she wouldn't run off again.

"Pssst. Hey." A familiar voice whispered. Sans didn't seem to notice.

"I'll catch up with you in a minute Sans, I just need to check something." I informed, planning on investigating the noise.

Sans narrowed his eyesockets, but nodded. "Alright, don't take long then." He continued walking towards Waterfall. I walked over to the voice.

"Howdy pal!" It was Flowey. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Not interested." I growled, remembering the last few encounters I had with him.

"Aw, c'mon Papyrus. We used to be friends, remember that? I just want to talk!"


	29. He Plants his Strategies like Seedlings in the Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiiiill Papyrus' POV. For most of this chapter.
> 
> Yes, title is a song reference oops. I'm bad at naming things
> 
> Flowey-based chapter basically

I hesitated, then let out a sigh. Despite me, at the moment, wanting to deny it, it simply wasn't in my nature to walk away or be mean. "Fine. But let's keep walking. I don't have time to stand around and talk." I insisted.

"Aw, what's the rush, buddy? C'mon, this is important!" Flowey exclaimed.

"If it's that important, please follow me." I remained calm and kept moving slowly towards waterfall. It was some progress, at least.

Flowey dove into the ground, and appeared a bit in front of me. He continued to do so as I moved, as he didn't exactly have legs to walk with. "Alright. Can we talk now?"

"What is it?" I asked.

"First of all... why do you keep that human alive? Without you, she'd be dead by now." Flowey asked.

I stopped in my tracks. "I'd rather not discuss that now, Flowey."

"Aw, please? I'm just curious, no harm done." Flowey insisted.

"..." I shook my head. I didn't think he'd understand, but I had to try. I kept walking. "They spared me. That must mean they have some good in them! I'm giving them a second chance!"

"Papyrus..." Flowey let out a loud sigh. "What is she doing to you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Haven't you noticed? You act different. The old Papyrus was innocent. Never once questioned me. Now I feel like I'm being interviewed just by being within 5 feet of you." Flowey commented. "Remember, before the human came? We were so happy. We were friends." Flowey practically purred.

"I'm just being careful. And I have questioned you in the past." I pointed out cautiously, though I wasn't sure what to say. He was right, honestly.

"Yeah, but you didn't interrogate me." Flowey scoffed. He quickly smiled again. "But I forgive you. That's what friends are for, right?"

"Thought you said we weren't friends." I recalled.

Flowey's face shifted into what seemed to be anger or frustration for a moment, but he quickly went back to his smile. "I was mistaken." He dipped his head, I guess trying to apologize. "That doesn't matter now though! We're friends, and I'm looking out for you. Anyways, this isn't why I came to talk to you."

"Why did you, then?" I asked curiously.

"To warn you. Don't let your guard down. The broken monsters with little determination? Well, they're turning to dust again. Why do you think you didn't encounter anyone in the Ruins?"

"Are you... saying that some monsters in Snowdin are doing the same?" I shivered a bit at this.

"Pfft, why you you think you haven't seen a zombi-fied Jerry yet? ... Dammit, Jerry." Flowey's smile fell, but, as usual, he perked up again. "They're turning to dust. Remember the Ice Caps? They're gone. Forever. Because of her. Not only that, you've taken so long to get to Waterfall, that I've seen some of the monsters in there, specifically Moldsmal and some others, turning to dust before the human ever saw them. Some of the dogs are also showing signs of dusting, but I could be mistaken."

"... Who doesn't show signs of it?" I asked.

"Er... Toriel, Doge, RG 3 and 4... Dogamy, Dogaressa... Doggo, but I suspect that may change soon... Snowdrake and Chilldrake, oddly enough, seem quite determined to live... uh... those are the only ones who come to mind at the moment. Oh, yeah! Ice Wolf became broken too. Not because of the human, the broken ones got a hold of him. Oddly enough, he joined voluntarily. But you're too stubborn to do that, hm?"

I gave him an odd look.

"As I was saying, Ice Wolf joined recently, so he probably has some time before he'll dust. I suspect he'll go sometime after Doggo dusts, though, he didn't have much determination to begin with."

I didn't fully understand what he meant, specifically, about determination, but nodded anyway. "Why... are you telling me this? Is there a way to stop them from getting hurt?" I asked hopefully.

"You mean dusting? Well, not as far as I've seen. Pretty sure it's the end for them, and they've realized that after the Ice Caps dusted. Boy, are they pi... I mean, annoyed!"

I tilted my head. "Maybe they'll be determined to live if they're that mad?" I said hopefully.

"N-Not really, Papyrus. I'm talking about something else with the same name. Never mind my fancy talk though, the point is... well, what now? The human will probably want to get to Asgore's Castle. To go home. But, to do that, they must take the king's soul. Can't cross the barrier without a monster and human soul, after all."

Asgore's Castle... that name had popped into my mind earlier. Part of me, despite everything, didn't want the human to leave. "Maybe they don't want to go back!" I exclaimed. "Maybe they'll stay here with me! They've never talked about going home before."

"What about Undyne? The human clearly thinks of her as a threat. What will happen if the human kills her? Or your idol, Mettaton? Alphys?"

It'd crossed my mind, but I hadn't really paid any mind to it until now...

"They won't! They promised they'd be better!" I exclaimed.

"Shh, keep your voice down." Flowey growled, looking around, then back to me. "Yeah, they told you that, then went and slaughtered a bunch in Waterfall. And what will you say to Undyne? You know she won't befriend the human after what they've done."

I was shaking. "They... no, they wouldn't do that..."

"Hey, maybe they won't. I'm just sayin'."

"You're confusing me!" I finally cried. "What side are you on? Do you want the human to live?"

Flowey grinned. "I-"

"It's a yes or no answer, Flowey." I growled. I felt terrible, but I was panicking.

"..." Flowey frowned. "Hey, let me explain." He warned, his voice much more threatening than it usually was. It quickly went back to normal. "I'm not on a side, I'm just... seeing how things go." He winked, then disappeared into the ground. I quickly ran ahead, to catch up with Sans.

"Hey bro... heard ya talking with the weed." Sans scoffed.

"You were listening?" I frowned. "And his name is Flowey."

"No, just saw. You seemed troubled, you ok?" His eyesockets were empty, but one glowed blue and yellow faintly.

"Of... of course." I nodded. "Nothing troubles the great Papyrus!" I insisted. I changed subject. "Have you found that 'Toriel' person yet?"

"... bro, what did Flowey tell you?" Sans asked.

"..." I let out a sigh. "Honestly, I'm not too sure. He was being very confusing, I can't even tell whether he wants the human to live or not. I can't tell if he wants us to live or not." I shook my head. "Not only that, the broken monsters... some of them are turning back to dust. He said something about being determined makes you remain 'alive'... more or less... longer."

His eyesockets were completely empty. "Oh. Well, you probably shouldn't trust that guy. Don't let it bother you. It's a weed, take what it has to say with a grain of salt."

I hesitated, before speaking again, "... What do you think the human will do? I mean, I don't think she'll hurt more monsters, she promised she'd be better! .. Do you think she'll try to leave?"

Sans looked away. He seemed uncertain. "Has she mentioned it before?" He asked.

"I don't think so?" I tilted my head. Pretty sure I'd remember something like that.

"Hm... I wish I knew what her intentions were. When we get back, we'll ask." Sans decided.

"Alright." I agreed. "Back on subject, though, uh, Toriel?"

"Haven't found her y- well, speak of the devil."

She was listening to an Echo Flower up ahead.

(Flowey's POV)

My petals shivered and wrapped around my face as the cold air blew by. Why did Snowdin have to be so cold? I wanted to be excited for Frisk and her little 'gang' to move onto Waterfall, but Waterfall was too wet. Good for messing around though. I grinned to myself, tempted to mess up their plans once they got there, but decided to take it easy this once. I had more important matters to deal with. Hotland was too, well, hot. New Home brought back too many weird thoughts. I would say feelings, but, hey, kinda hard to feel when you're basically soulless, surviving on determination alone. I waited by the skelebros home. Those two dorks thought it'd be a good idea to leave Frisk alone.

I knew she'd leave the house. Not because this exact scene has happened before, no. If I could feel, I'd feel excited. This was different, new. But that's not to say something similar hasn't happened in the past.

 _That's why I'm here._ I reminded myself. Taking a breath in, I finally called out. "Frisk!"

Frisk quickly turned around, seeming terrified, but upon seeing me, their fear quickly morphed into annoyance. "Oh." She muttered, pretending to be completely uninterested.

"Sneaking out, hm?" I tilted my head.

"What's it to you, weed?" She growled.

"Nothing. Just wondering, why follow them? Worried they'll die?" I grinned.

Frisk flinched. "Pfft, no. What..." She grinned too. "Worried you'll die?" Her hands curled into fists, a proud look on her face.

I shook my head. "Listen to me, will you?" I sighed. "I'm just saying... why keep those skeleton brothers around..." Vines sprouted from the earth, wrapping around Frisk's body and holding her gently in the air. She fought back, but I wasn't fazed. "... when we could kill everybody, everything in this wretched world... and take over this world together?"


	30. Powerless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Powerless.
> 
> Back to Frisk's POV.

The vines wrapped around me, a bit tight but not enough to fully restrict breathing or bloodflow. Thorns taunted me, just barely scratching me every now and then as a painful reminder of their existence. I was held in the air, a strange feeling, like I was constantly falling, but just barely being held back by the constantly moving vines, slithering through the air like snakes, moving as if they had their own heartbeat. Yet, never once attempting to kill me.

Mindful of the thorns, I tried to struggle my way out. As time grew, so did my panic, and the need for air. I could still breathe, but not quite enough. No longer caring about the thorns, I kicked out my legs and grabbed at nothing with my arms, I twisted my body back and forth, but it did nothing. Realizing he wasn't going to let go, I forced my muscles to relax as I was held high into the air, snow and wind alike flying around, making the green vines look white.

Finally, I was forced to answer the small plant with yellow petals. "I don't want them to die..." My answer came out as a half whisper, half whimper.

"What was that?" The weed tilted it's head to the side mockingly, "I couldn't hear you."

Rage quickly growing as my defeat transformed into anger, I shouted, "I don't want Papyrus and Sans to die!" My body thrashed around once again, a helpless attempt to be freed. "Now let me go, weed!"

"How cute..." The flower cooed. "Y'don't want them to die, hm?" The vines held me higher in the air as he grinned.

"What's it to you, dandelion?" I taunted back with a growl.

The flower hummed in thought, then shook his head, his petals dancing in the wind. "You clearly don't understand my power." He pointed out.

With a desperate attempt to discourage the small plant that, despite his looks, could probably cause my death, I began to coo, "Awww! The wittle flowew has powew? So cuteee! Wittle flowey powey- ACK!"

I tried to scream, but was silenced by the vines around my throat. Thorns threatened to dig into my skin, and I dared not move. For a moment, I thought he was going to kill me, but as soon as that thought entered my mind, the vines let go, letting me fall to the ground, landing with a thud.

"Are you willing to listen to me?" Flowey asked, his eyes narrowed.

"... Tell me why you want everyone dead first. Only then will I listen." I glared. Flowey looked as if he was going to argue, then let out a long sigh.

"It's... difficult to explain. Trust me, Frisk, you'll know in t-"

"Shut up and get to the point, then!" I shouted, looking for answers and refusing to get nothing. A stray vine startled me and wrapped itself around my head, covering my mouth, but still allowing me to breathe.

"Alright. Fine. But I'd rather show you what I can do." Vines, once again, wrapped around my body. I struggled, more frantically than before, but he had a grip like iron. There was no escaping. Desperate, I growled and bit at the vines. At most, he'd flinch, but nothing more. I wasn't doing enough damage. I kicked, bit, did whatever I could to free myself, but it was no use. Muffled screams were drowned out as the world faded into black. But, as he did so, I could've sword I saw figures behind him.

 

When I awoke, I was laying on something hard. Not rock-hard, but still uncomfortable to lie on. I was lying on wood. My eyes cracked open, and I recognized it immediately. Papyrus' shed. How did I end up back here?

Shakily, I stood up. The dog food bowl was empty now. Who ate it? There was a note beside it. Cautiously, I walked over to it. The note read, "WHAT? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE."

I couldn't explain why, but I began shaking. The feeling of dread built up in my stomach, making me feel sick. Why did Papyrus leave this message? Why was I here? How did I get here? I began to back up, when my phone rang in my other pocket. Admittedly, I'd forgotten I even had it. I was surprised it still even worked. My hand shot into my pocket, fingers wrapping around the old thing and pulling it up to my ear, to answer the call. I'd felt some sort of paper in my pocket alongside, but I figured I'd simply read it after I took the call. "H-Hell-"

"EEEERRRRROOOORRRR...... ERROR!"

That was Papyrus' voice.

A screaming voice, screeching into the phone as if he was in agonizing pain.

In shock, I dropped the phone. I could still hear his voice, clear as day, as if the voice was in my head as the phone hit the ground.

"ERRORRRRRR SEE YOU LAAATERRRRR-THISISJUSTANERROR MESSAGE REAAAAALLYYYYYYYY!!!"

Then, nothing. Everything was silent. The only thing I could hear was the wind howling outside, but even the wind's ever-present song was quieter than normal. Tears fell from my eyes as I shook. _Calm down, Frisk._ I told myself, _This isn't real. This can't be real. Papyrus is ok. I'm not here._ I pinched myself. Letting out a surprised yelp from the pain I didn't expect, I began to realize that this must be closer to reality than fiction.

Pressing my back against the wall, I let myself cry as I stared at the phone. I tried to convince myself not to cry. _I have no reason to cry. I'm not in pain. No one's attacking you. No one's here. There's no reason to be afraid._ Yet, I couldn't stop crying. After enough crying, I seemed to zone out, completely unaware of how much time passed. Minutes? Hours? Time meant nothing, until eventually, I seemed to wake up. Cautiously grabbing my phone, I walked toward the bars of the cell. I paused, then slipped through with ease. Reaching out a trembling hand, I held the door handle for a moment, before turning it and sliding it open.

No one was there.

Not a footprint, not a broken branch, nothing. As if this world had been abandoned and forgotten. Now, I was afraid. I was truly afraid.

"P...." I hesitated. After what I'd heard on the message... Nevertheless, I forced myself to ignore it. "PAPYRUS!" I screamed. No response. "SANS!" Still nothing. I hesitated for a good 30 seconds before finally shouting, "FLOWEY!"

Then... a sound. An alarm, yet somehow it sounded like music. It felt like it was... leading to something. Like when the music changes in a game to signify an enemy is nearby. That enemy was Flowey. I saw him when I turned around. He grinned, laughing like a lunatic. Alarms went off, not just in my mind, but I could literally hear some sort of alarm. What the hell was that sound? Where was it coming from? Flowey seemed to be having the time of his life. Suddenly, the music cut off, and Flowey was gone. Everything was gone once again.

"... What the..." Too confused to fully comprehend what was happening, I shook my head and kept walking, more like a stumble as I walked. The crunching of the snow under my feet was pleasing to hear, as I realized that even the wind was silent. Any sound at all that wasn't alarms or screaming was comforting now. Curious, I almost backtracked to the Ruins... but looking at the bridge.... hovering over a who knows how long of a fall... I'd crossed over that bridge too many times for my liking. So I went the other way. Back to Waterfall. When the snow finally stopped, the crunching of the snow beneath my feet transitioned into a quiet tap. I purposefully tried to make my footsteps louder, to avoid craziness from just how empty everything was. But I dared not speak. As if someone would whisper something, only once, when I least expected it. I needed to hear everything, but I didn't want to.

Eventually, I saw those... seed bridges, or whatever they're called. They lead somewhere I hadn't been before. Cautiously, I stepped over them, and entered the room. There was a bench, and an Echo Flower... wait, there was something under the bench. Reaching under it, I pulled out what looked to be an abandoned quiche. Who'd left it here?

Suddenly, the Echo Flower spoke. "Somewhere, a quiche's worst fear becomes a reality. A quiche in another timeline."

I dropped the quiche and ran, not caring that it'd been abandoned once again.

I continued my journey through Waterfall. A much faster hike this time around, since I knew somewhat where I was going, and there was no one to stop me.

Eventually, I found someone. I nearly jumped when I saw them. They were sat upon a wooden boat, with a dog face carved into the boat. They wore a dark blue hood that covered their entire body, as dark blue as the depths of the sea, which just enough sunlight to see more than pure darkness. I tried to see who might be inside, but I could only see the same darkness one would see at the bottom of the ocean.

"Tralala..." It began to sing, "I am the Riverman. Or am I the Riverwoman? It doesn't really matter. I love riding in my boat... care for a ride?"

Aside from Flowey, this was the only person I'd seen since I'd awoke in the shed. Something about them called me to agree, and against my better judgement, I climbed onto the unsteady boat.

"Where would you like to go, today?" It asked. "Error, or error?"

"Wait w-" Suddenly, the boat grew legs. Or maybe they were there before? Either way, it jumped up, somehow landing on top of the water. I nearly jumped off, but the mysterious figure held onto me, and refused to let go. The boat ran at such a speed that it terrified me.

The boat was racing straight towards a wall.

My eyes closed, I hid behind the stranger, trembling in fear.

But no pain came.

Still, though, I kept my eyes shut, afraid of what I'd see when I opened them.

"La... la.... time to wake up and smell the pain. Though... it's still a little shaky." An unfamiliar voice spoke. My eyes shot open and darted around. Nothing... but wait, a light up ahead. Could that be a room...?

Suddenly, I hear laughter. No, not the innocent, happy laughter. It was... almost robotic sounding. Fake, creepy... a laugh that wasn't welcoming. I darted towards the light. The laughter seemed to be coming from everywhere, and I didn't know if I was running towards my untimely demise or away from it. I just needed to run.

Finally, I entered a room. An odd monster stood in front of me. "You... you came from outside, didn't you? People like you are so rare... Please! Stranger! Tell me about outside..?" It requested.

"Uh... uh..." I was nearly at a loss for words. "S...What do you want to know?"

"About outside." It repeated.

"... Outside...?" I blinked. "You mean... the surface?"

"Huh? Surface? What's that? What do you mean? I just meant outside this room. If you haven't noticed, my mycelium have bound me to the ground. Please! Stranger! I'll make this simple. I've spent my whole life in the same spot, in the same room. But I've long wondered what lies inside the room to the right. Long I've fantasized about entering, and changing my scenery... no... changing my LIFE! Please. Go and tell me what's inside." With that, it seemed to dismiss me. I was completely lost, so... I listened. I walked to the right. Nothing. I came back eventually, seeing nothing changing.

"You're back!" It grinned.

"Er... yes, I am." I murmured cautiously.

"How's the room?" It asked.

"Uh... nothing different. Just... nothing, really." I said bluntly.

It's grin faded.

"So... it's.... the... Same..... SAME..... ok...."

"Hey, could you help me?" I asked.

Nothing.

"Who are you? What is this room?"

Nothing.

I sighed. I'd have to make something up. "I lied."

It turned around. "Is everyone out there like you? How terrible." It growled. I winced.

"Hey... the room to the right is different." I realized then I'd have to come up with how exactly it was different, but thankfully, turns out I didn't have to.

"Oh, that's a relief! That's all I need to continue my fantasies! Thank you, stranger." It's smile was genuine this time. I relaxed.

"Will you help me now?" I asked.

It nodded. "I'll try, but there's not much I can do."

"Well... Who are you?"

"Not important. It's best if we stay strangers, visitors are rare here. There's a reason for that." It said, it's tone suddenly completely monotone.

"O-Oh." I responded simply. "What's this room, then?"

"Not sure how to answer that when I've never been to any other room. But this room is... quiet. I think? Few come here, and when they do, they're usually the same people. Over. And over." It sighed. "You should move on. But, if you ever return, then please, tell me if things are different again." It requested. I nodded. With that, it was silent again. I decided to keep heading right. At least then, I had a clear direction.

Eventually, I remembered I the paper I felt in my pocket back in the shed. Taking it out, it read,

_If you are reading this, I messed up somehow._

Finally, I heard a sound other that the stomping of my own footsteps or a strange voice. It was music again, but this time, it was rather... relaxing compared to the last song.

"BARK!"

I jumped, and looked behind me. A... small, white dog. It sat down, looking almost... concerned, if dogs could look that way. It's expressions felt so human, yet still dog at the same time. I was confused.

The dog waved it's tail, then started walking. I followed. It'd seen a lot of dog monsters, so, wondering if this one could also speak, I asked,

"Where are we going?"

The dog turned, giving me a, 'Really? You're trying to have a conversation with a dog?' kind of look. It seemed almost amused, then sped up. I had to run to catch up. Soon, I saw a door. Suddenly, a glowing, red ball appeared beside the dog, seemingly out of nowhere. The dog placed it beside the door, then barked.

The door opened, to what seemed like somewhere in Waterfall. The dog wagged it's tail, then curled itself around the ball, swiftly falling asleep as if nothing ever happened.

"... Uh... thanks..." I murmured, unsure, walking out back into familiar territory. Well, familiar in comparison to... whatever that was.

I didn't want to meet that Riverperson again.

So I went back to Snowdin. Suddenly, Flowey appeared again. Only for a moment. He pointed to the shed with a vine, then fled into the ground. I wordlessly let myself be lead to the shed. I opened the door, walked past the cell bars, and sat down. Looking at the note again, I picked it up, and put it in my pocket. I don't know why, I just felt like I had to. I was silent. Like... part of me had been stolen. Like part of it was lost in that dark abyss the Riverperson had led me to. Like all hope I had was just crumbling down in front of me, zapping my determination away.

And then, Flowey appeared. Again.

"... And that's only a fraction of my power! Of what I know, what I've seen." Flowey smiles. "I'm not alone, you know. With me and my allies, we're stronger than you could ever imagine. Everyone will die Frisk, but I want you to join us. You don't know the potential you have!" His grin widened. "But don't worry. I'll let you consider your options. See you on the flip side!" He winked, and left me alone.

 

When I opened my eyes again, I thought for a moment, Was that all a dream? But... when I opened my eyes, I saw that I was still in Papyrus' shed.

But I wasn't alone.

Toriel, or rather, a broken version of her, Sans, and most importantly, Papyrus, stood over me, looking absolutely horrified.

And I laughed.

I laughed, and cried at the same time, knowing that somewhere, a flower was watching the scene unfold. And I was powerless to stop him. A human powerless to stop a flower.

Powerless.

Powerless.

Powerless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The two songs mentioned:  
> 'Alarm': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIAb_RE6ayo  
> 'Dog': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXwybuWRS8E


	31. What? That's Impossible!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Huh. Wrote this chapter originally over a year ago. (Only realized that because, in the description, I mentioned how I posted it later than usual because I was at Comic Con dressed as Temmie o3o This year I was Asriel (Post death))
> 
> Probably no more chapters today because of Thanksgiving stuff here in Canada :'D

**Powerless.**

That word rang repeatedly in my brain as I cried. Deep down, I knew I had to do something. But what? I was scared. More scared than I wanted to admit.

But it seemed as if voices in my head were telling me; tell the monsters what happened.

In the state of mind I was in, I'd listen to anything without a second thought. I was confused, I needed something to rely on. I could only hope I could rely on them.

"Frisk, what happened?" Papyrus finally asked.

"I..." How do I do this? How am I supposed to calmly explain I've lost control? However much I hated it, I was becoming to realize I wasn't top-of-the-pack. I'm not the alpha anymore. How am I supposed to explain something that can't be explained? My body was shaking, and I could no longer tell if I was loosing my mind, or just calmly crying. How did I appear? My mind was too clouded and panicked to know, or really care. Through my tears, I finally took a moment to study their expressions once more. Sans seemed... nervous, but aside from that it was hard to make out a clear expression. I realized he had a lab coat thrown around his shoulders. Did he have that when he was leaving the house? I tried to calm myself down and think clearly, but I soon realized that wasn't working well. Toriel appeared to be trying her best to stay calm, but despite that, she was still wide-eyed, and even shivering a little. From that expression... did I say something I wasn't supposed to? Papyrus looked... well, a mix of emotions I guess. Mostly afraid. Very afraid. I must've said something. My breathing quickened. What did I say? What should I say?

"Hey, kid..." Sans began awkwardly. "Are you... alright? D-"

"Does it look like I'm ok?!" I snapped. Was the guy blind?! No, no I'm not ok! I'm a miserable pile of tears on the floor who doesn't know what's real anymore! A confused child! An omega!

Sans stepped back, casting a worried glance over at Toriel and Papyrus. Papyrus approached me, and both Toriel and Sans looked as if they were going to try to stop him, until he calmly sat beside me. No one knew what to say, until Toriel finally broke the silence. Well, it would be silent if I weren't freaking out.

"Child, are you hurt? Are you in pain?"

I was sore... but no, not in pain. Even if I was, I wouldn't tell her. She's broken. I can't trust those things. "N-No. No I'm not." I finally breathed out, managing to slow my breathing a little. I could barely see her expression, so I blinked, causing more tears to fall. Great, it looked like some sorta pity party in here. _Stop being so pathetic. Calm down. She's right, you're not hurt. No one appears to be hurt, despite what you heard. So calm down,_ I told myself.

"Then... what happened?" Sans asked cautiously.

I sighed. I'd have to tell them. With a shaky voice, I began to explain the story. "After you two left the house, I... I left too. I was planning on following you, but then I saw Flowey." I looked up, to see their expressions once again. Sans and Toriel's seemed... angry? I tried to tell myself that they were angry with Flowey, not me, but I was still panicking a little. Papyrus was... uh.... I have no idea. Emotionless? Probably trying to hide some sort of emotion, maybe in an attempt to keep me calm? Or to maintain a somewhat tough look? I have no idea. I continued. I contemplated skipping part of the story, but I told myself, tell them what happened. The real story. So I tried not to leave much out. "Flowey and I talked, and he... he more or less threatened to kill you..." I pointed to Papyrus and Sans to clarify. Ok, sure, maybe I was twisting the truth a little bit there. But hey, what was I to do?

"Did he give a reason he wanted the skeletons to die?" Toriel asked, urging me to continue the story.

Ok, ok. This is ridiculous. I'm not even in pain. I need to calm down and explain. Access my situation. I already saw the others. I looked down at myself. Everything normal. Still had a bandanna and gloves. And... bandages. I had those on when I woke up in Papyrus' shed, didn't I? Did I have them... before I awoke in the shed? I was unsure. Panic must've made me not acknowledge them. Now, all I have to do is tell them. Tell them what happened. I took in a deep breath, and tried once again to continue my story.

"He didn't tell me. Instead, he... he said he was going to show me just how powerful he was. He wanted me to... to join him or something? So I wouldn't die too?" I blinked. That didn't sound right. Was I forgetting something? Either way, I continued. "His vines wrapped around me, and made me pass out. When I woke up, I was in this shed. There was no one here."

Papyrus interrupted me. "What? That's impossible!"

I remembered the note.

I started shaking.

He continued, not seeming to notice.

"When we found you, you were passed out in the snow. We brought you to the shed."

 _What? That's impossible._ Those words made me afraid. That... no, no way he could know. It wasn't a dream, but... I shook my head. "Let me continue. You must be mistaken." I said simply. I glanced at Sans and Toriel. They were sending each other uncertain glances, like they already didn't believe my story. "As I was saying, I woke up in the shed." I decided to skip the note I found. I wanted to show them instead. I reached into my pocket... but it wasn't there. I was confused. It couldn't have been a dream, it was too real. But there was another note, behind Toriel. I squinted my eyes to read it. I couldn't make out what it said, but it certainly wasn't the note I'd read before. I decided to skip that part of the story. "I was confused, of course. Then, I got a phone call." My gaze shifted back to Papyrus. "It was you."

"But I never called you!" Papyrus insisted. The monsters all looked confused.

"Perhaps... this was all a dream, child?" Toriel questioned.

"IT WASN'T A DREAM!" I yelled. How many times did I need to explain? It wasn't a dream! It couldn't be a dream! That was too real!

Sans and Toriel continued to look unsure. No... not just unsure. They were looking at me like I was insane. They seemed... angry with me, too!

Fine.

I didn't need them to believe me anyways.

Another thought crept into my mind.

_Let Sans and Toriel think you're insane. They may leave. Then, you can tell Papyrus. If he doesn't trust you, then no one will. If that's the case, escape. You don't need them._

I began laughing again. What a nice idea. I never liked Toriel and Sans anyway. I began smiling. Yes. I had a plan now. I felt myself regaining my control. At least, over them. I'd pretend I was insane until they left me. Papyrus would stay, wouldn't he?

I heard them whispering about me. My laughter grew. I'd let them think I was just insane.

I heard Sans and Toriel walking away.

My laughter faded, as Papyrus hugged me, trying desperately to calm me down.

"Frisk? Frisk, can you hear me? Are you ok now? Why did you stop laughing?" He asked. He was shaking a little bit.

"I'm alright now." I assured him. Should I tell him of my plan? Guess it wouldn't hurt... "I was just acting a bit... out of it so they'd go away." I revealed. Papyrus relaxed.

"You don't have to be scared of them, you know." He told me.

"I'm not scared of them." I crossed my arms. "Now let me continue. Maybe it was a dream, but I still need to tell you what happened, because Flowey made... whatever happened, well, happen. Or, at least, that's what it seems like." My breathing was still shaky, and judging by Papyrus' expression, he noticed. But I tried to act like I was still "ok".

"Alright."

"I picked up the phone call, and it was you. Your voice was s-so loud that I dropped the phone. It sounded like... like you were in pain... You were basically screaming through the phone. You said something about an 'error message'." I shivered a little at the memory.

"Well, I'm not in pain now, and don't recall ever being in pain within the last... hour or two?" Papyrus commented.

I glared at him as a sign to say, 'shut up and let me continue'. I skipped the little panic attack part. "Then, I went outside. No one was there, not one thing. Nor any sign of anyone being there recently. The town was abandoned. Then, I heard something. It sounded like some sort of alarm...? Then I saw Flowey. Then, he was gone, and the alarms were gone too. I was alone again, so eventually I made my way through Waterfall. Again, no one there. But then I found someone. They called themselves the River Person."

"River Person?" Papyrus seemed legitimately afraid now. "How do you know about the River Person?"

"Because of what Flowey did! I'm telling you, it's not a dream!" I exclaimed. "And the River Person was-" I was about to say scary, but corrected myself, "so weird! It said, 'Where would you like to go? Error or error?'! I was going to ask what they meant, but then... everything went black? And then-" I rambled on through the rest of the story. "... And then Flowey appeared again! He said that what I'd seen was only a fraction of his power. He said he wasn't alone, that he had allies. He told me everyone will die, and he wants me to join him and his allies."

By the end of the story, Papyrus was completely silent. For once. At least the silence was better than him screaming in agony. I hate to admit being scared of anything but... that scared me.

A thought crossed my mind. Maybe I shouldn't have told him. Or anybody.

Despite that, I had a glimmer of hope that, if Papyrus did believe me, that this could help in some way. At least I scared away Sans and Toriel for the time being.

Papyrus eventually spoke again. "Fear not, human. I'm not sure exactly why you saw and heard what you did, or how this might tie into the current events, but... I'll still help you, no matter what. We'll get through Waterfall, and we won't even see the Riverperson. Then, we'll go to Hotland." He paused for a moment. "... Do you... do you want to return to the surface? To your gang?"

I considered this.

Would they really believe me if I told them what'd happened? They weren't here to see this... if the monsters didn't fully believe me, could they believe me, too?

I shook my head. Of course I wanted to go back. Usually the term 'gang' isn't associated with love and affection. But how do you think I'm still alive, now? They care for me. Even if just a little bit.

They're still out there. Looking for me.

And I'll find them, no matter what it costs me.

"Yes. They're still out there, looking for me. I can't keep them waiting."

Papyrus slowly nodded. "Very well then, Frisk. I... I cannot assure you that you'll get out of here. No human has. But I can assure you that I'll make sure you get to the castle, no matter what."

"Thank you." I nodded. That's all I could ask for.

Papyrus stood up. "Hey, follow me. The others are still outside." He trotted to the door, and opened it, with me following close behind. Sans and Toriel wasted no time running up to us, seeming curious. Papyrus muttered something to Sans, and Sans whispered something to Toriel. I was a little annoyed that they weren't telling me what they were talking about, but either way, Sans and Toriel began walking to Waterfall.

"Frisk. Sans and Toriel will be helping you get to the castle as well." Papyrus told me. I still had my doubts, especially about the broken monster. I'd killed her. She had more than enough reason to backstab me. But they seemed persistent about keeping her around. So I'll deal with her.

But one wrong move... and she's gone for good.

"Isn't the captain of the Royal Guard still in Waterfall?" Toriel asked.

Papyrus nodded, moving faster to catch up with them, expecting me to follow. Which I did. "Yeah, she is. But I think we can get around to her."

"Convince Undyne that a murderous human, the very thing keeping us all underground, can be a friend? Good luck with that, bro. But we need to find a way to get Frisk past Undyne without her seeing."

"Undyne told me that there's cameras all over the underground. Alphys controls the cameras. You know how those two are. Sneaking past will be difficult. I wouldn't be that surprised if Alphys already knows where we are and is telling Undyne our location." Papyrus informed.

"... but she hasn't yet. If that were the case, Undyne should've been here a long time ago." Toriel commented.

A moment of silence passed, as we all thought.

"Who is Alphys, anyways? And maybe Undyne does know where we are. Hell, maybe she's around here, waiting for a chance to strike." I pointed out, sending a cautious gaze of my shoulder.

"Alphys? She's the Royal Scientist. So real smart, obviously." Sans informed. "She's a dinosaur-like monster, I guess you'd say. Pretty small though."

"Taller than you, though." Papyrus grinned.

Sans' eyesockets narrowed, though his smile widened a tiny bit. "Yeah, but that's because of those weird spikes she has going on. Without that, she'd be shorter than me."

"Barely." Papyrus countered.

I actually found it rather amusing. The conversation did calm me down a little.

"As for Undyne," Sans continued, "Face it, she's amazing at battle, but sucks at stealth. She doesn't like it that much anyways, she likes making her presence known. So if she really was here, well, we'd know. We'd know too well." Sans commented.

I held back a loud sigh of relief. That was rather comforting, actually.

"Where do you think Undyne might be, then?"

"Probably the tunnel leading into Hotland. Knowing her, she's guarding the entrance. I'm pretty sure she knows you're not in Hotland yet, otherwise she would've called me." Papyrus glanced at his phone, then put it back in his pocket. "Last time she called was about an hour ago, when we were in Waterfall. She thought she heard someone, and didn't realize it was us."

Sans laughed at the memory a bit. "The look on her face when she realized she realized it was us!"

Toriel snickered a little, but still didn't seem that amused. "She nearly speared us to death." She pointed out.

"THANKS FOR BEING ENCOURAGING, TORIEL!" Papyrus yelled. I couldn't help but laugh at Papyrus' reaction, and Sans was laughing, too. Toriel hesitated a bit, but eventually joined in the laughter.

"Hey, hold on. Wasn't there a room behind this Waterfall?" Toriel asked. She looked up. Heavy water poured down. Toriel's fragile body would be destroyed.

"I can check." Sans commented, teleporting... somewhere. He came back with a torn up, old tutu in his hand. "You're right. I also found this." He passed it to me.

"No way am I wearing this." I said bluntly.

"It'll make better armor than a bandanna." Sans countered.

"But it'd be an inconvenience. I won't be found dead in this thing." I dropped it into the water. "Let's keep going." I advised, walking through the water, careful to avoid the falling rocks. Thankfully, Papyrus was doing a good job of protecting the group from such things. We kept walking quietly, until I came across the room with the quiche. I set up the bridge seeds as I'd seen before.

"Water you doing, kid?" Sans asked, clearly quite happy with his pun, as if he'd been waiting to use it for a bit.

"There's something back here." I spoke simply. "Saw it when you guys were in Waterfall." I made sure to not say, 'the dream', as I was still convinced it had truth to it. How far that truth would go, I wasn't sure. Stepping lightly over the bridge, I grabbed the abandoned quiche. It was in a little box, so I put it in my bandanna for later. See? You couldn't do that with a destroyed tutu. Take that, Sans! Thankfully, the Echo Flower said nothing this time around. Upon existing to room, Toriel asked,

"Find anything?"

I shook my head. I didn't want to speak to a broken monster anyways. My thoughts drifted back to Monster Kid for a moment. I'd saved his life. Would he still be around here? Would he be as willing to defeat me as before?

As I walked ahead of the group, I saw an outline of a shadow. Monster Kid's shadow. I looked back, and was quickly confused. They must've stayed back at the previous room, and hadn't followed me yet. Either way, I followed the shadow, confident I could win a fight if something went wrong.

But... it wasn't Monster Kid.

Like, it was him. But... his entire body and clothing were grayscale. His eyes were wide and pupil-less. Everything went quiet.

"Have you ever thought about a world where everything is exactly the same... except you don't exist?" It asked. That voice didn't belong to MK. It was an older and wiser, yet intimidating. I shook my head, as the thought had never came to mind. "Everything functions perfectly without you..." He seemed almost... sad. It reminded me, in a way, of the odd monster I saw a while ago. He laughed nervously. "The thought terrifies me."

He turned away without another word. I felt cautious, yet almost kinda bad for him. I tapped him on the shoulder. He said nothing, but he was smiling now. I left the room in a hurry. I found Toriel talking to an angry... thing.

"Calm down, W-"

"UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN HUMAN! KILLER! KILLER!" It yelled. Toriel had to hold him back. It's face was distorted, and what used to hold water, now held dust. Another broken monster stood nearby. A seahorse... sort of. What was his name... Aaron, wasn't it? Aaron whispered something to Toriel. I wanted to hear what it was saying, but Papyrus and Sans walked up to me.

"There you are! Where did you go?" Papyrus asked.

My eyes danced between Papyrus and the broken monsters, wondering what issue I should address first.


	32. Woshua and Aaron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WE WILL  
> WE WILL  
> WOSH U
> 
> Or, the chapter in which Aaron won't stop winking, Flowey and Woshua are being suspicious, Sans is a dirty liar, and Frisk threatens to snap someone's neck if they don't chill out.
> 
> So an average day tbh, aside from the terrible feeling lurking around the corner and the MK look-a-like nearby.
> 
> (FUN FACT: I used to actually hate Aaron's character, but I challenged myself to write his character into my story. At least for a while. Now I actually like Aaron tbh! As annoying as he is, I found him quite entertaining to write, and perhaps even more entertaining to write Frisk having to deal with his garbage.)
> 
> Kudos to all who are reading!

Eventually deciding, I took one last glance at the broken monster. Woshua, though his face was distorted, I could still tell from his expression and tone that he was absolutely going crazy. Aaron, or as I like to call him, show-off seahorse, seemed rather calm (and still flirtatious... somehow??) in comparison. Toriel and Sans were dealing with them. Though I didn't trust them, I knew I was strong enough to take them on myself if needed. At least I told myself that. I'd killed 3/4 of them already anyways, and Sans, well, Papyrus would kill me if I hurt his brother, so that wasn't my biggest concern.

"Papyrus? Uh, can we talk somewhere else? I'd rather not have the others hear..."

Papyrus nodded. "Alright, human!"

It quickly occurred to me how gullible Papyrus was. If I wanted to kill him, I could ask him to 'talk somewhere else' to lure him away from the group, then... attack. Here, the paralyzing cold wasn't an obstacle. I was more powerful, too.

I can kill him.

What worried me about that realization... is that others could kill him too.

As my mind drifted off, Papyrus shook me. "Underground to Frisk! You there?"

"Oh... sorry. Yeah. Just thinking of something." I shrugged, trying to keep my calm appearance. Though I definitely kept the thought in mind, I didn't intend on killing him anytime soon. I worried, though, that the gullible guardsmen in training would be killed by someone else. "Let's go." We backtracked a little bit, only to the last room.

"Where did you go?" Papyrus repeated.

I looked around, making sure no one else was listening. "I found a little room, off to the side. I found someone who looked like MK."

Papyrus shivered a little.

"You ok? That seemed to make you nervous." I pointed out.

"Oh, don't worry, human. I'm just good friends with MK, so that worried me a little."

I nodded. "Well, it wasn't MK. It just looked like him. But he was all grayscale, his clothing, too, and his eyes were really wide. He didn't seem to have pupils? Or anything like that? Just white! He didn't sound like MK, either. It sounded more... older and wiser, yet intimidating... I guess?"

Papyrus nodded. "Huh... can't say I've seen anything like that, human. Did he say anything?"

"Yeah. He said," I paused to remember how he worded it, "Have you ever thought about a world where everything is the same, but you don't exist? Everything functions perfectly without you... the thought of it, he said, terrified him."

Papyrus shook a little bit. "I... a story like that seems so familiar to me. I swear, I remember my brother studying something similar to the concept. It was so many years ago, though." I couldn't help but wonder if the lab coat had anything to do with it. He still wore it, though I realized at some point on our short journey so far he switched to wear his lab coat underneath his regular one. "Can I ask him about it?"

I frowned.

"Human, I know you don't trust my brother. But I feel like this is important!"

I breathed out a long sigh. "Fine. But we'll deal with the broken monsters first. NO ONE else will hear about this. Got it?"

The tall skeleton nodded. "Got it!"

I felt happy, yet anxious about this at the same time. Happy, because I had someone I could trust about this. Maybe. And anxious, because, well, what if I can't trust him? Not only that, this means I have to trust that lazy, smiley trashbag he calls 'brother' as well.

When we got back to the group, Woshua glared viciously at me. I flinched at the anger coming from such a small monster. Yet, something caught my attention. In the darkness, just around a corner, a familiar golden flower laid it's eyes on the angry creature with curiosity, for just a moment. Soon, though, he fled. Before I could attempt to follow, Aaron quietly approached me, holding out a hand. "Hey." He winked. Again. "I know we kinda started off on the wrong foot, but I think I could help ya out!" He offered. The winking intensifies. I backed off, concerned.

When I looked back, Woshua was gone.

"Where's Woshua?" I asked, my voiced raised.

"Hm?" Aaron turned around, to where Woshua was previously standing. "I... have no clue honestly." He seemed confused. "Toriel?"

"I let him go for a walk to calm down. I didn't want a fight to start." Toriel explained.

"Oh, alright. There's your answer, cutie!"

"Call me that again and I'll snap your neck." I deadpanned, keeping my voice low so I wouldn't alarm the others.

Aaron just winked. Again. Then moved to stand behind Toriel. What's up with the winking? Is his eye messed up? I held back the urge to slap some sense into him.

Toriel glanced at Sans and Papyrus. They were whispering to each other, probably about what I told Papyrus. I couldn't tell what they were saying, and judging by Toriel's confused expression, she didn't know either.

"Hey, can me and Papyrus talk to the kid for a min?" Sans asked. "You guys go ahead."

"Wait, does that include the seahorse?" I asked, my eyes growing wide with concern, and maybe a little bit of fear.

"Well, yeah. I'm gonna help you out!" Aaron exclaimed. "Me and Toriel discussed it."

Oh. Joy.

I sighed. Well, at least he doesn't want me dead. Or it doesn't seem like it for now. Noting that both Flowey and Woshua were out of sight, something I couldn't tell if it was a good thing or not, I followed Sans and Papyrus back.

"Hey, kid. Papyrus told me, y'know, about the grey-looking MK?" Sans commented.

I nodded, excited to, maybe, get an answer.

"Well, honestly, I don't know myself. Papyrus must be mistaken, maybe he saw it in a dream? I feel like I've seen something similar... is he still there?" Sans asked.

I had a strong feeling he was lying.

"Not sure. He's over in the small room, that way." I pointed to it.

"I'll be right back. You guys go on ahead, with the group." Sans walked away. In the opposite direction. I silently wondered why he bothered.

"Well, I guess that's that! He'll follow us in a few minutes." Papyrus lead the way back to the group. We all continued on silently, going across a river (which took a while, the only boat was a small platform, so only one of us could go on at a time. Thankfully, Sans wasn't back yet, and Aaron just sorta floated above the water anyways), and managing to walk quite a ways, with Aaron constantly sending flirty glances my way. I simply tried to ignore him. C'mon, really? Did he forget I killed him? Weirdo. Frustratingly enough, he didn't stop until Papyrus finally noticed and quietly managed to make him back off. By then, we were on a long, wooden bridge over the water. Ahead were some sorta plants, ones I'd hidden in before.

"Hey guys, I'm back."

Aaron nearly jumped to the roof of the cave in surprise. I wanted to laugh, but dared not give him any attention, in fear he'd continue with his pointless act.

"Oh, hey Sans!" He whispered something to him.

Sans hesitated, then shook his head. "Nah, sorry kid, nothin'."

Then why did he take so long to catch up? I didn't believe him, but decided not to make a scene in front of the whole group. They didn't need to know. I politely nodded, then kept walking. It went back to an eerie silence, but I was fine with that. It lasted for quite a while, until we made it to some sorta telescope, a box, and a small tunnel leading to what looked like an empty room.

"Huh, you guys keep going, I just realized I forgot something here." Sans walked into the tunnel. The group didn't seem to think much of it, and kept going.

Except me.

I knew he was hiding something. Now would be a great time to catch him alone, and get that information out of him.


	33. Temmie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ehhh wanted to have done a bunch more chapters this weekened but I got very busy :'DDD
> 
> If you're wondering about the 'tuff' gloves, it was a reference to... The Outsiders, if I'm not mistaken. Been a while since I wrote this and read the book. If you haven't read it, read it. It's so worth it. Not the movie though. Movie sucks. The book is amazing. Especially since there was certain things in the book (especially the ending, and certain phrases like 'tuff' or tough that could only really work well as a book) that simply wouldn't work with a movie.

_...Stay with the group..._

_...Knows where he went..._

_...Say something...._

_... Ignore Sans..._

_... Sans doesn't trust her..._

_... Woshua's gone..._

_..._

_... Sans never talks.... Unless you go full genocide...._

As I listened, I knew these voices were not my own.

I felt sick. What could I do? Who was speaking? I... I wasn't going insane, was I?

What should I do?

I'd listened to the voices before, many times. I was still alive now. _When was the first time I'd heard them?_ I wondered. It felt like I'd known them for an eternity, but the first time they really stuck out to me... when was it? It felt like Snowdin, I'd heard them, they'd lead me to the forest where the broken monsters where, hadn't they? Had the voices tried to kill me? But I was still alive now, they'd lead me here... were the voices trying to kill me, or save me? Were those voices even real? Maybe they are my own, and I'm just in denial. Why do they talk the way they do? That can't be me, can it? I thought back, wracking my brain to attempt to remember when I'd first heard them. It was before that, it felt like so long ago... but sometime in the underground.

"Hey, aren't you going to join the group?" Aaron's annoying voice startled me away from my crazed thoughts. "You look like you've just listened to one of Nabstablook's music tracks. Ever heard Spookwave? Bane of my existence." He complained.

"Buzz off, seahorse." I scoffed. "Worry about yourself. You have reason too." I smirked, causing an alarmed look from him.

"Point taken. Just don't stand there forever, I saw a yellow echo flower watching you." Before I could say another word, he floated away.

A... yellow echo flower? He must've meant Flowey. I growled. Damn flower, ruining my plains. I sighed, and focused again on the voices. By now, it was probably too late to 'go full genocide' as one voice put it. I didn't want to anyways. I walked away from the tunnel Sans went through as to not bring suspicion to myself, walking slowly after the group. Echo flowers whispered around me, but I chose to pay no mind to them. I decided, as much as I dreaded it, to agree with (some of) the voices, and stay with the group. I decided to mention Flowey, too, since Aaron brought it up. Realizing that, in the dark, I'd lost them, I quietly walked through the area. I knew my way around pretty well, but found myself wanting to explore. Stumbling upon a bush, I walked through it. As suspected, I felt something non-bush under my foot. Dragging it out of the plants, I realized they were old ballet shoes. Oddly enough, they made me feel... dangerous.

But if I wasn't going to let myself be seen dead with a pretty pink tutu, I wouldn't wear the matching ballet shoes either. Looking down at my worn, yet tough ( _tuff_ , if you get the reference) gloves, I didn't mind leaving the shoes behind. I liked my running shoes just fine anyways. Walking back into the dark, the sound of the echo flowers became louder as I passed them, but, again, I payed no attention, focusing on finding the group.

But, during my travels through Waterfall, I began to hear footsteps in the distance.

Very loud footsteps.

Like the owner of those footsteps was wearing armor.

And holding a magical spear.

And was an angry fish lady.

...

Shit.

Turning around with wide eyes, one yellow eye glared back at me, rage burning clearly like a flame. I knew I might be able to outrun her. She had armor on, after all. Therefor, I wasted no time running for my life. Eventually, though, I reached a familiar dead end, the one that lead to the garbage dump, where MK left a note to taunt me. No way the broken monsters could survive a fall like that, they must've gone another way. Either way, I knew I could survive that fall, so I jumped without thinking twice.

When I awoke, I growled angrily at myself for falling asleep from the fall. How long was I out? Hopefully not for long, but I couldn't tell. I fell at a bit of an awkward angle, but aside from that, I was ok. Standing up, I ran through the place, not sparing a second to speak to anything, not even that stupid dummy. He wasn't even there.

Now, I'm not sure exactly why, but I, uh, went back to Temmie Village.

I tried my best to ignore them for the most part, as I made my way through. And ignore the somewhat painful allergic reactions that followed.

After what felt like being there way too long, even though it was barely a minute, I walked over to the Temmie Shopkeeper.

"hOI!!1!! I'm-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know you're Temmie. 'Nuff of your shit, I get it."

Temmie flinched.

"Excuse me?" She growled. My eyes widened a little. I hadn't heard a Temmie speak in normal English before. Or maybe there was one in the village? Wasn't paying attention. I quickly went back to my emotionless mask.

"I'm in a hurry, here. What's in this shop?"

Temmie, too, quickly regained her composure. "We haves wots of tuff!!" She stretched out her paws for a dramatic effect, "We has cheep (I spell it that way, as she sounded a bit like a bird when she said it) Temmie Flakes, Temmie Flakes, an... prenimum... pre... prememe...num... uh... Temmie Flakes!!! An u can donates for cool leg!"

I blinked in utter confusion. "Uh... and what do Temmie flakes do? What's the difference between the separate ones?"

Temmie wagged her tail. "Dey heal u!!!"

"... Ok...?" I shook my head. "How?"

"to!"

"... to what?"

The cat/dog-like monster flicked her tail, in something that seemed like annoyance. "HP!" She held back an angry sigh.

"HP? Wha-"

Now loosing her patience, the shopkeeper shot out a paw, along with sharpened claws over my mouth. "You'd think killing so many monsters you'd know this by now." She grumbled, her cat-like ears flattened against her grey mane, and her other, more dog-like ears remained still. "HP. Goes by a couple different names... but often by Health Points. I don't need a college education to figure that out, you shouldn't either. YAYA?" I was a bit stunned at her snarky reply, but I couldn't exactly blame her at all. I rubbed the area where she held her paw against my skin. It stung, and my eyes watered from the allergies. I sneezed. It was a bit odd, as I wasn't allergic to fur. I'd killed several monsters with fur, many of which dogs of some sort, and none of them gave me this reaction.

"Alright, alright. I get it." I claimed, even though I didn't get what she meant by health points. "Not interested." I sighed. "Can I at least sell stuff here? Or do anything useful?"

Temmie nodded.

"Eh..." I looked through the items on hand. The quiche somehow hadn't fell out of it's hiding spot under my bandanna, I was still wearing my gloves... what to sell? As I tried to look through my pockets for something, the quiche somehow escaped from it's comfy place, onto the box where Temmie made her shop.

"Is that a... quiche??" Temmie asked. "Hnn... I gotta pay for cooleg.... but... hnnnnn..." She paused to think about her decision. "I'LL BUY!"

"I was planning on keeping this. And my other food. Don't have any other items on hand." Having a bad feeling, I looked back.

The entrance was blocked with more Temmie. Temmies...? Whatever the case, I had no way out without kicking them or something, but then they'd claw at my leg.

"76 G." Temmie offered. I shook my head. "77."

"No."

"96!" Temmie smiled hopefully.

"I said, no."

"Look, you're lucky I'm offering at all, killer. Hand it over. 96G is my final offer." Looking back at the Temmies watching me carefully, I shivered and turned back to her.

"You'll have to fight me for it." I growled, expecting her to be intimidated and give the food back. Did she forget how many I killed?

I did not expect her to fight.

But she did.

"You'll regret this." The young shopkeeper warned, and leapt out from behind her little desk. I soon realized that her shirt was stripped, unlike all other Temmies, a detail I hadn't noticed until now. Not only that, she seemed smaller than most, and standing on her legs she only was about half as tall as I was. Was she a kitten? Er, puppy? Recalling the Temmie I saw holding an egg... a hatchling? Either way, she was young, but clearly trained to defend her shop. Claws raked my face, and she quickly twisted in an attempt to get away from me and grab the food on the desk. Why did she want the quiche so badly? I wasn't quite sure, but I assumed that the quiche might heal many of these 'health points', which would help her and her village survive.

The quiche would be mine, one way or another.

Shooting out a leg, I kicked the cat-dog-like monster in the side as hard as I could, causing some other Temmie watching to wince. They moved forward, growling. I payed no mind, the shopkeeper was my victim now.

Seeing her sharp claws, I threw myself into my own imagination, letting myself pretend that we were both animal-like monsters, fighting over the last piece of prey. Me, of course, being the stronger one of us. I got down on all fours, ramming into the she-catdog's side. I couldn't help but sneeze, and tears formed from fighting the deadly allergy. As I grabbed onto her to throw her against the wall, my hands felt itchy against her fur. She collided with the wall with a painful thud.

Assuming victory, I grabbed the quiche.

Bad mistake.

Temmie saw I had my guard down. Racing forward, she leapt on my back, where my shirt was torn from the fight with Monster Kid. Her claws dug into it, causing me to scream, mostly in anger, as the almost recovered wound re-opened and I dropped the food. Buckling my limbs, I rolled onto my back, attempting to crush the smaller creature. She nearly got away, but I managed to roll over her. She quickly retaliated by biting at my shoulder and trying to push me off, eventually succeeding. She tried to claw at my chin, but I moved my head just in time to kick her in the stomach with both my feet, causing her to go flying against the wall on the other side. She groaned in pain, holding her head in one paw. Like a child, she cried.

But she wasn't giving up yet.

I stalked over to her, my mind now drifting away from the reason we fought in the first place. I grabbed her by her throat to throw her against the wall, and I slapped her hard as I could. She seemed to be giving up.

Reluctantly, I spared her, despite all that. I understood why she fought me, and I respected that. I would've done the same. Not only that, she was a child, maybe around my age, but likely a bit younger considering I was basically a teenager.

I turned around, to let her live. But the quiche, I realized, was gone, as were the Temmie. I was about to voice my confusion and anger, by I quickly realized that Temmie had jumped onto my back, and had bitten off my bandanna. I threw myself backwards, hoping to crush her against the wall, but she jumped away, causing my head to collide with a rock sticking out. I wailed and angrily kicked, nearly blinded by dizziness and tears. Temmie clawed at my arm, ripping off my precious gloves, and, due to how much they'd been clawed at, my bandages fell off too.

I had no more items.

I growled.

She'd went too far.

I grabbed her, slamming her against the ground. Standing as tall as I could, I then quickly threw down my arms to mimic her clawing. I aimed for her eye. Though, it failed, as she too stood up and bit my wrist. Using my other hand, I grabbed her neck and squeezed, causing her to let go and flail. Pinning the she-catdog against the wall, I began to hit and kick her, over and over. Agonized cries filled the otherwise dull air, and I soon heard pawsteps behind me, and cat and dog noises wailing in horror at the scene.

I focused on the task at hand. I continued attacking my victim, punching her, kicking her, forcing her head to collide painfully with the wall...

until the annoying ball of fur stopped moving.

Soon, claws tore me away from my victim, the older Temmie screeching in rage for hurting the hatchling. Claws tore at me everywhere, bite marks all over my body as well. I flailed blindly, grabbing whatever I could and slamming it against them.

After what seemed like an eternity, they stopped. Stared.

I turned my gaze over to what they were looking at.

The Temmie Shopkeeper stared blankly at me, slowly turning to dust.

The young fighter had died of her injuries inflicted by me. She watched as her village fought desperately to protect her, but it was too late.

I did this.

I knew she never deserved her death. Though she fought, she only ever did so to protect herself and village. I tried to convince myself to not feel anything- after all, I'd killed so many other monsters who probably didn't deserve their death. I tried to convince myself that, like so many other monsters, she attacked me first.

And yet, I felt the weight of my sins crashing down on me so powerful, I felt sick.

The village was quiet with shock and grief, a couple of them breaking the silence to wail in horror or grief.

Not caring that I no longer had my items, I knocked over any Temmie in my path, and bolted, not looking back. I knew that if I did, I'd vomit in disgust at my own actions.

What had I'd done...? Why was I feeling so... sad? I'd killed children and monsters alike before, to get the job done. So why was this hurting me now? Hell, the reason I was in the underground in the first place was because I was running away from a woman who's child I'd killed just to get the job done easier. Was it because I feared what the others would say? Why did I feel sick?

But, still... I wanted this to be a dream.

All of it, a bad dream.

I wanted to go back.

I wanted some way to reset everything. Not just killing the shopkeeper. Not just fighting the broken monsters. Maybe, even, not just falling into the underground.

I wanted everything to just disappear.

That's when I heard those armored footsteps following me again.

And another set of footsteps.

Papyrus.

He'd come back for me, but what would he say now? I was miserable. I'd lost all my items, I was clawed so bad and my allergies were driving me insane, only furthering my torture. Not only that, I'd just killed someone, and I actually regretted it. I didn't know why I was feeling so confused. Had I been the one who went too far? Or she? At this point, I didn't even care. Even though at least one monster could see me, Papyrus, and Undyne was on her way, I was quietly sick in a bush for a moment, then collapsed on the ground.

"Frisk?" Papyrus tried to keep his voice hushed, as he heard Undyne too. "Oh my gosh, what happened? Frisk? FRISK?"

I didn't answer.

I could see Flowey behind Papyrus, grinning at me.

The world went black, as a spear flew over my head, hitting the wall behind Papyrus.

Upon waking up, I was in a dark corner, one we'd used before to hide from Undyne. Papyrus was crying, with no other monsters, not even his brother, anywhere to be found. He was injured.

He was wailing to himself, asking things to thin air, such as, "Why would Undyne hurt me? She was just trying to get me away from the human, she didn't mean anything, did she?", "Frisk didn't actually kill the shopkeeper, she promised...they're dirty liars", and "Where's my brother? Where's everyone else? I just want to be with them, they'd know what to do.", "Undyne, come back, I'm sorry, don't be mad!"

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out was was going on. As I stared at the crying skeleton, the weight of my sins got even worse.

I'd done this. Not only did I brutally kill someone, a child, over a petty argument over a quiche, I caused the only monster I actually trusted so much pain. Dragging myself beside him, I held onto his arm, crying with him. "I'm so sorry." I whimpered. "I'm so, so sorry."

The taller creature basically clinged to me. On normal occasions, I'd object, but right now, I didn't care. We both just needed to get this out of our system.

At this point, I just wanted to reset everything. But I can't.

Even with everything that had happened, I still had one person who believed in me. Even after I'd been the cause of so many deaths. He was still around. I'd failed, I'd lost everything, all my items, my self-control, it was gone. But he was still here.

And I couldn't help but wonder...

Is getting to the surface all that great?

After everything I'd done here... would my gang still be there for me?

I shook my head, trying to rid myself of these thoughts. Like a coward, I basically hid under Papyrus' scarf, or at least my head did. I didn't even want to see anyone.

Some time had passed, before Papyrus finally let go. "We... we need to get back to the group." He murmured.

"What about Undyne?" I questioned, removing myself from my 'hiding' spot. "I need to hide from her, and it sounds like you two need to repair some lost trust."

Papyrus turned his head to face me. "I tried to make Undyne understand. She... she didn't mean to attack me." I could tell he was mostly talking to himself, but I responded anyways.

"How close of friends are you? Did she have any reason to attack you?"

"We're best friends!" Papyrus exclaimed. "She only attacked me because you were there, she'd never do this normally! E-"

I interrupted him before he could second-guess himself, though I had my suspicions too. "Exactly." I said simply. "She wasn't aiming for you. She panicked, and because of that, her aim was off. If she's truly loyal, she wouldn't have attacked you. Friend or not, you're still... kind of part of the Royal Guard. More or less." I shrugged. "If she's not loyal? Well... she's as good as dead to us." I muttered.

Papyrus stopped crying. "W-What?" He paused to think this over. "That makes sense... yeah... yeah, she never meant to attack me!" He smiled, but I could tell it was force. He didn't have that... look he gave when he was truly happy. He was faking it.

Yet, as if it'd help, I pretended he was being honest.

I couldn't just let myself cry anymore. That wouldn't get us through the underground. Letting myself fall back into my usual, angry mask, I stood up. "Well, then let's go then. We'll go catch up with the group, and Undyne can explain herself when you see her next."

Papyrus was silent.

"Papyrus. Let's go." I demanded.

Papyrus was looking back at me, looking... disappointed? It took a moment, but Papyrus soon let out a sigh, and stood up. "Alright." He seemed to give up on whatever thoughts he was thinking. "Wait here, for a moment, then." He walked into the other room, leaving me alone.

A shiver passed through my body, but that's the only notable thing that happened. Things went dangerously quiet and uneventful without him, so I was quite content when he finally came back.

"Hey, Frisk! I found this jacket! I... I think you might like it! Doesn't cover most of the scratches you have, which, of course, I, the great Papyrus, healed quite nicely using magic, HOWEVER, I think you'd like it anyways!" He handed me a small, black jacket, which had white spots on the shoulders. The exterior was quite rough, but the inside was soft and warm. "Reminds me of you!" He laughed.

I coughed. Did he really think of me like this, still? He must've been talking about just the exterior, I thought, but of course Papyrus had to ruin it by adding, "You look quite tough on the outside, but you're still a good person!" I looked up at him, surprised. I raised my voice a tiny bit.

"Good person?" I asked. "Don't you know what I did to those broken monsters? Don't you know I kept killing monsters? I just killed another monster!" I was yelling now, though Papyrus... seemed oddly calm. It reminded me of when I'd fought him for the first time. Throughout, he stayed calm.

"I know. But you've spared me. You spared MK. You're not killing Toriel, Aaron or Woshua a second time. You've spared Sans. Haven't killed Undyne, and I hope I don't have to add a 'yet' to that sentence." He gave me a firm look to emphasize. "There's many monsters around here which are, at least to an extent, still alive. Even the Royal Guard dogs. They're broken, but... most of them haven't dusted..." He shook his head. "Do you get my point here?"

I stared blankly at him.

He let out a long sigh. "Alright. Fine. Just put on the jacket, and let's go."

As I was told, I placed on the jacket, and we walked in silence for a bit.

"Do you believe that anyone can be a good person?" I asked suddenly. "No matter what they've done?" The lines felt familiar, but I couldn't place a finger on where I could've heard them before.

Papyrus nodded. "You're a perfect example."

I laughed. "How so? I could kill you right now, and wouldn't feel a thing."

"Don't lie to yourself. I'm stealthier than you might think. Even if just a little bit. Either way, I didn't see you killing that shopkeeper... but I did see you crying, and feeling sick. That was because of guilt, wasn't it? Wouldn't you feel the same way if you killed me?"

"I-"

"Don't lie."

I hesitated, then sighed. "Dammit, you're right." I paused to think about this for a second. For a moment, I actually wanted the voices to step in, and tell me what to say. But I couldn't hear them. "I'd feel worse." My arms hid themselves inside the jacket. I felt cold, though it was considerably warmer than Snowdin.

"Of course! You're already on the right track to being a good person!" Papyrus insisted. I didn't know how he kept believing that. Or maybe he didn't? Maybe he was just so brutally depressed by everything that's happening, he holds onto that lie. That thought hurt. I didn't respond, aside from a hum, acknowledging that I'd indeed heard him, but had nothing to say.

"I... I saw Flowey again. Just before I passed out. I saw him earlier, too, looking at Woshua. Speaking of which, has Woshua come back yet?"

"... No, Woshua hasn't come back, as far as I know." Papyrus answered cautiously. "We haven't seen Flowey either."

We continued to walk in silence, passing by a writing on the wall. I'd passed it before, though didn't pay attention to it. It read;

_However... there is a prophecy.  
The cursed one,  
The one who has seen the surface,  
They will return,  
To break the underground._

I stared at it for a moment, in thought. The prophecy stood out to me. What curse? The one who has seen the surface? ... If by the surface they mean above the underground, I've seen it. But... return? I've never been here before, and as far as I know, I'm not cursed. Or maybe I am. By 'break' the underground, did it mean the broken monsters, and broken Ruins and Snowdin? I didn't have much time to think, as Papyrus urged me to continue. We walked past the bridge where I fought Monster Kid, where some blood from the fight still remained, as no one had bothered to clean it. There, we found the group again. Sans was there too.

They were talking to Undyne.

I couldn't see her expression, as she was wearing her mask, but in her voice, there was fear. I could tell she was worried about Papyrus.

"Stay at the bridge." Papyrus ordered, then walked forward towards the group. I could hear them talking among themselves, Undyne apologizing for hurting him, as I suspected, her aim was off because she was surprised. Undyne asked where I was, and proceeded to ask Papyrus why he took the human away instead of letting her kill me when she had the chance.

My heart quickened. I didn't have a place to hide. If Undyne looked towards the bridge, she would see me.

Papyrus sighed, not directly answering Undyne's question. "Frisk, come here."

 _Is he insane?_ I feared, _He's gonna get me killed!_ On shaky legs, I stepped forward. It was too late to run now anyways.

I couldn't see Undyne's expression under her mask, but she was dead silent. The broken monsters and Sans backed up, fearing the worst.

Driven by fear, in my mind, I called out to the mysterious voices.

Help me.


	34. The Captain, the Flower, and the Scientist

_Stay determined._

_No point in running._

_Trust Papyrus._

_You don't have any items._

The voices had responded to my plea. The voices were a bit clearer this time around. I held my breath for a bit, taking in the information they'd given me. I sighed. I had to get out of Waterfall eventually. I tried to stay determined, but it was hard. I stared back at Undyne. One eye could be seen from under her mask, glowing brightly against the shadows. The other eye was seemingly gone. They were right... I had no items, so she could easily track me down if I tried to run. All I had was my clothes, and the jacket Papyrus found for me. Everything else was gone.

The little staring contest didn't seem to be going anywhere, so I glanced at Papyrus for help. He was aware that I was looking at him, I could tell, but he tried to focus his gaze on Undyne. He seemed to be looking for something. But for what? A weak spot? No, Undyne was his friend, wasn't she? He wouldn't attack her, not after what happened. Maybe he was looking for hesitance? Fear? A chance to step in?

"Toriel." Undyne looked back, just for a moment to address the broken monster. "Take the other broken monsters, Sans, and Papyrus, and get out of here." She ordered. They all hesitated, but Undyne barked the simple order, "NOW."

All of them left the room. However, Papyrus gave me a comforting look, a sign that, though he was out of sight, he'd still be near enough to help me. At least, that's what I got out of it, but I didn't have much time to look at him, before a light blue glow caught my eye. My gaze darted towards it, revealing that it was a magical, blue spear. Undyne held it tightly in her hand. "Human... who do you think you are?" She began.

I took a deep breath, and stepped back. I took her anger as a sign not to speak.

"You've killed countless monsters... you've somehow made these monsters turn into shattered messes, hell, even the Ruins and Snowdin are destroyed. Despite all of that..." She paused. "You've managed to somehow get the very monsters you killed, and of course, the skeleton brothers, on your side." She growled, ripping off her mask and tossing it aside, a look of pure rage on her face. "For the sake of the whole underground, I will end this cycle. No more monsters will die because of you... because your death is coming right now!" Undyne yelled. For a split second I looked back at the bridge. Papyrus was watching the fight, just barely out of view. What on earth was he waiting for? Help me!

I underestimated her. That split second was enough for her to drive one of those spears into my stomach. Thankfully, it was made of magic, but it still hurt. I nearly went to punch her, but quickly remembered I no longer had the tough gloves. When I punched her in the face, it likely hurt me much more than it hurt her, despite me punching skin, not armor. Alright, different strategy... I kept in mind what the voices said. Trust Papyrus. I didn't have items anyway, so not really much of a choice there. I ran in a circle around the captain, glancing at Papyrus briefly for help. But he seemed as lost as I was. I growled. Yeah. Trust Papyrus my ass, random voices. Oh well... at least he wasn't attacking me. I could trust him later, I guess? But I'd need to survive this fight first, and judging by how many spears I was narrowly dodging, sometimes not dodging at all, that would be difficult.

Noticing a rock on the ground, I quickly ducked yet another spear, and grabbed it. I tried to keep running, but a spear shot out of the ground, making me fall backwards in surprise. A normally red glow was replaced with a green one, and I looked down to see my soul had turned the same color. I could no longer move, though some sort of blue, shield-like magic was emitting from my soul. I moved my hand, and the shield moved along with it. Several spears came at me in all directions, and I screamed pathetically like a little girl, throwing the rock at Undyne, then cowering behind my shield. Undyne simply grabbed the rock and slammed it on the ground in front of me, breaking it. _Shit shit shit I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die_ I thought, my entire body shaking with fear.

But...

The green glow changed to a blue one. Undyne can turn my soul blue, like Papyrus can? What on earth was she doing, trying to slow me down? I was already good as dead anyways... but when I looked up to face her, she seemed even more confused than I was. Green magic emitted from her spear as she tried to turn my soul back to green, but it wasn't working. I glanced over to Papyrus. He changed my soul to blue... what was his plan here? I quickly realized. Now that my soul was blue, Papyrus could, from a distance, lift it up, dragging me along with it. He threw my soul over Undyne's head, and towards the exit to Hotland. I began running as fast as I could, but I didn't hear footsteps behind me, not even Papyrus'. I dared to glance back, then stopped.

Vines were tightly wrapped around her, covering her mouth and eyes. They were holding her arms to her body, and her legs were forced together painfully. Papyrus screamed in a mix of shock and anger, and summoned magic. "Flowey, let her go!"

Flowey... I was confused. Was he doing this to get me on his side? Angering Papyrus wasn't the way to do it. One fist tightened into a ball, the other twitching nervously.

"Hey, I'm not gonna do anything!" Flowey insisted. "I just think it's a good idea to keep Frisk ali- OW!" Flowey's vines all twitched, a chain reaction they seemed to come from the vine around Undyne's mouth. "Don't bite me!" Flowey whined, his voice resembling a pouting child, as he placed the vine back in place. "I'm just keeping you quiet so there's no argument."

Papyrus muttered something quietly to himself, glaring at Flowey. "Well, if you don't want a fight, let her go." Papyrus spoke, returning to his usual calm attitude. I'd noticed a pattern to this. Papyrus would sometimes get oddly calm in the middle of, or beginning of a fight... an act to confuse the opponent, maybe? I won't lie, I wanted to copy it, as it seemed to work. Maybe Papyrus could help?

A loud sigh followed Papyrus' comment. Somewhere, hidden in the vine-covered mess, I could hear Undyne growling with rage. Her body twitched every now and then, but Flowey's grip was too tight for her to fight back. "Alright, alright. Just lemme talk to the kid for a moment, will ya?" Flowey spat back, using a vine to pull himself closer to me, while still holding onto Undyne. "Hey, kid, I'll wanna strike a quick lil' deal." Flowey whispered, smiled innocently. The fact he was so calm about it frightened me, especially considering that Papyrus' glare was probably powerful enough to burn a whole through the flower's... non-existent skull if it were possible. Papyrus' glare scared me, too, even though he was on my side. I never thought Papyrus could give someone such a look. I guess he was just afraid Flowey would hurt me or Undyne.

"How about no." I hissed, finally turning my attention fully back to the flower.

"Aw, c'mon, I haven't even told ya yet. You've seen how powerful me and my allies can be. I'll kill Undyne for you. She'll be out of the way, and you and your gang can continue to Hotland." He offered, his voice still nothing more than a whisper. The weed was probably so proud of himself. Trying to kill someone to earn my loyalty? It was probably a great idea to a fool like him.

I smacked him as hard as I could.

"I SAID, NO!" I yelled. "No, I will not join you or whatever the hell your little 'allies' have planned! Get out of my sight!" I continued, making sure to word it in a way that the others wouldn't know exactly what was going on, (didn't want them to think I actually cared about Undyne in any way, I simply cared because Papyrus did,) but they knew enough.

To my complete surprise... Flowey agreed. He nodded, vines retracting until he was just a normal flower, sitting in front of me. Well, as normal as you could get with a flower with a face. "Alright. See ya later." He used two vines to make a shrugging motion, and then just... left. I felt almost disappointed. I'd expected a fight. 

My gaze lifted to observe Undyne. She had her back turned to me, as she was picking up her mask. She placed it back on, maybe because she didn't want me to see the utter confusion that was no doubt plaguing her mind. Papyrus was clearly confused too.

Aaron floated forward. He had a smug look on his face, and winked (...are you kidding me, again?...) at me, before 'addressing the situation' more or less. "Alright, alright. Anyone minding telling me... WHAT WAS THAT?!"

No one answered.

The awkward moment of silence only grew more and more awkward as Undyne walked out of the room, shoving Aaron out of the way to do so. We all watched her go. I could basically feel how furious she was. I wondered what exactly she was furious about. I decided it must be several things, as I could think of several reasons why. Some weird flower dude just overpowered the captain of the royal guard within seconds, she didn't get to properly fight nor capture me... really, nothing was solved.

"Well, now that Undyne's gone, let's take the oppor- _tuna_ -ty to go to Hotland. Watching that fight was a real pain in the _bass_ anyways." Sans laughed nervously, Toriel snickering in response despite the tense situation. Papyrus opened his mouth to respond, but decided that he couldn't think of anything to say, so he just shook his head. Aaron used his tail to facepalm. Facetail. Whatever.

I nodded, eager to get out of this place. "Yeah... let's go."

"Wait, shouldn't we wait for Woshua?" Aaron asked.

I shook my head, but Aaron seemed pretty determined. "Stay there, then." I grumbled. I was pretty sure, at this point, that Woshua was gone for good, and honestly, after that little reaction of his, I was glad he was gone. I turned around and began walking through the tunnel, apparently leading to Hotland. There was a sign, that read 'Welcome to Hotland'. I blinked, then looked ahead. So that's why they called it 'Hotland'. I wasn't even in Hotland yet technically, and I could feel the heat of the lava so hot I partially removed the small jacket, leaving my shoulders exposed somewhat. Not really though, my shirt was still in the way. I grit my teeth, resisting the urge to rip that part of the shirt right off. I continued on forward, until I came to a bridge.

An unstable looking bridge.

Over lava.

Lava, something so hot that'll slowly melt your skin and everything else off while you cry in unimaginable agony....

Nope. Biting my lip, I hesitated before finally asking as calm as possible, "Is there any other way through Hotland?"

"Pfff, unless you wanna swim through lava kid, nope." Sans commented.

Mhm. Great. Expected no less. I shivered, despite how hot this place was, and stepped, rather shakily, on to the bridge. "Straight ahead?" I asked, even from here I could notice that the path ahead split 3 ways.

"RG 03 and RG 04 will be waiting to the left." Papyrus informed. "And the Riverperson will be to the right, and I don't see any reason to go there... unless we need to go back to Waterfall or Snowdin for any reason. So yes, straight ahead!"

The Riverperson. Me and Papyrus both knew that, from my dream, I did not want to encounter them.

"Child, you alright? You look pale." Toriel spoke up, concerned. I'd nearly forgotten she was there, she'd been basically silent for a while now.

I scowled at her. "I'm not a child. And I'm just fine." I turned around, nearly tripping on my own shoes, but I managed across the bridge. Passing by the water cooler, I glanced back at the group, my eyes switching from them to the water cooler, silently asking if it was alright to drink. Aaron, being the "gentle" seahorse he is, pushed his way to the front of the crowd, and nearly drank the whole water cooler himself. How kind of him. I pushed him away. "Give it." I demanded, grabbing a cup and filling it up. There was barely any left for anyone else... good thing no one else seemed very thirsty. I gulped down the water, then casually tossed the cup into the lava. At the very least, at least lava was a good garbage disposal. I hope, anyways.

As we began walking to a large building, I spotted who I assumed to be the two Royal Guardsmen Papyrus was talking about. Papyrus excused himself to go and speak to them quietly. I dared not look to my right, in fear of who I may see. "Hey, while Papyrus is talking with the Royal Guardsmen... could you guys go to the lab? I'll be there in a moment." I asked awkwardly. I was scared, but... I needed to know if this was the same Riverperson.

"Alright, see ya later babe-"

"Call me that again and I'll cut off your tail." I practically hissed. The seahorse, if he had legs, probably would've bolted away in fear judging by his expression. I let out an angry sigh, and the others gladly took the hint to follow Aaron into the lab.

Alright.

I held my breath, then turned around.

I saw them. The same dark blue cloak. The same blackness underneath. The same boat. All of it was the same, except for the location. Was this... Riverperson one of Flowey's allies? Memories crashed into my brain, like waves hitting me, reminding me of the powerlessness and terror I'd felt, how lost I was when the Riverperson lead me to that strangely empty place, my fear of not knowing where anything was, Papyrus' reaction upon me mentioning the Riverperson.. my stomach turned, and I felt dizzy. I wanted to run into the lab, but my legs were shaky and my vision was becoming blurry. _C'mon, Frisk, snap out of it. You're acting like a baby. It's just some stupid thing you saw in something that probably wasn't even real... but... Flowey basically proved it was real..._ I tried to shake the doubt from my mind, but it didn't seem to work, so I quickly walked into the lab. A rush of cold air hit me, startling me a bit. At least this place had good air conditioning. The lab itself had light walls, but not white like I imagined it to be. A camera showing... us was displayed on a large screen, beside of which was a desk. There were some moving stairs that lead to a higher floor, but I couldn't see what was up there. Nor did I really care, as I noticed what seemed to be a short, hunched-over dinosaur-like monster, with yellow scales, glasses, and she wore a surprised expression.

"S-So, guess the camera wasn't p-playing tricks on m-me..." The scientist laughed, seeming uncomfortable. "Y-You guys are actually h-here."

Sans shifted his feet and avoided her gaze. I frowned a bit, wondering if the two had any history, or if it was simply the atmosphere making the short skeleton so uncomfortable. The doors opened behind us, and I glanced back to see Papyrus join us. I looked back to the reptilian monster. "You've been watching us?" I asked, pointing to the camera.

She nodded. "Y-Yes, I've, uh, been... o-observing you guys through my c-camera." She quickly added, "A-At first, I, uh, rather h-hated you. You can g-guess why," She breathed in before continuing, "b-but now I w-wish to help y-you all!"

I cleared my throat. "Ya sure? You stutter a lot for someone who wants to try and convince some sort of loyalty to us." I commented.

"She always stutters! That's just her thing." Papyrus defended, to which I gave him a look that read, 'I realize that dumbass, that's not my point'. He seemed to get the hint, as he looked away.

The girl nodded a bit shyly. "Y-" She coughed, maybe to hide the fact that she literally started her sentence with stuttering after I just called it out, "Yes, I... uh... I normally stutter." Her voices was more slow and quiet, but she was no longer stuttering. "H...Honestly... I do want to help you guys."

I debated this for a moment. Well, I do need all the help I can get... but she's a scientist that works for the king, isn't she? How can I trust her? I glanced back at the others in the lab. They seemed eager to answer for me.

"We'd love to have you join along! You're the Royal Scientist Alphys, are you not? Correct me if I'm wrong, I... haven't been out of the Ruins for very long." Toriel admitted.

Alphys' eyes seem to light up. "Yes, I am!" She glanced at her camera, nervously adding, "I.... s-sorta know who you guys a-are already." She laughed, probably just to ease the tension. "I won't a-actually be able to follow you guys through Hotland... gotta work in the lab, after all." She pointed to her messy desk. "Er... i-ignore the mess. Anyways, I'll be able to watch you through the cameras... and help you that way."

I couldn't help but question why she'd help me. Guess the same reason as the others...? ... Why were they helping me? I still couldn't understand. But, they were better than nothing. Especially Papyrus, he's been around longest and I actually... kind of trust him... maybe. Anyways, I answered, "How will watching us help? Warn us for danger or something?" I asked.

"Yes!" She answered. "F-From my computer, I'll also be able to h-hack into certain th-things! I'll h-help guide you through Hotland that way." Alphys revealed. "Any of you guys have a phone o-on-hand I could call you through?"

I reached into my pocket. The phone looked destroyed, I'd barely even remembered it was there. "I have this... but..." My mind drifted back to the last call I received, the one with Papyrus screaming. "It's broken."

Alphys stepped forward. "Could I see it?" She asked. I handed it to her. "Jeez, where did you get this? It's ancient!"

Me and Toriel both chuckled at this.

"I could probably fix it up quite easily though! Give me a minute!" Alphys rushed off to... somewhere.

_BANG._

What the?

_BANG._

Oh no.

_BANG._

Is that noise coming from the wall?

_CRASH._

... Yes. Yes it is. I stared, open-mouthed in shock as some sort of.... robot crashed through the wall. Alphys ran back, a surprised look on her face. She'd seemed to have left the phone back in her lab. I backed up, as it turned to 'look' at me despite not having eyes.

"OHHHH YES!"


	35. The Robot's Game Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to those who bookmarked and/or gave this story a kudos! >w<

"OHHHH YES!"

A robotic voice cried out enthusiastically, as it emerged from the now destroyed wall.

"OOOOOH... no." I coughed, casually taking another step back, closer to Papyrus. I shot Alphys a look, one meant to say, 'what the actual frickideedoo is that thing?', but Alphys seemed a bit preoccupied over the fact that the machine destroyed one of the lab's walls.

My gaze turned back to the robot. It was a square shape, and it had no face or legs. It had arms, and wore gloves. A microphone was clutched tightly in one hand, the other waving enthusiastically at the small crowd in front of it. Speaking of those gloves, they were ripped, and the machine had cracks throughout his body. Despite that, something seemed... off. Like, it didn't look exactly like a broken monster, but it was a robot... I stared in confusion, trying to figure out if he was broken, or if he got the cracks from somewhere else.

As if the robot could read my mind, he exclaimed, "Don't worry beauties and gentlebeauties! I'm not broken! This is but a costume to fit with the times!" The robot revealed. _To fit with the times?_ I thought, my urge to break him for real growing fast. Then again, it was a robot. Part of me doubted robots could even be a broken monster in the first place. It was just a machine, nothing more.

"Oooh, maybe I could dress up too!" Papyrus thought aloud. I turned back to him, and he seemed quite excited.

Sans and I glanced at each other, as we were, for once, both thinking the same thing. _Papyrus, no!_

Then again, maybe it'd be a good idea? To try to disguise ourselves, I mean...

I was about to turn my head to read the other's expressions, but the lights went black. I was startled for a moment, no, I'm not afraid of the dark, but the fact I was momentarily blind in a strange place was... concerning, to say the least. A beam of light suddenly appeared over the robot, a spotlight, it seems.

"NOW, WELCOME BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES.... TO TODAY'S QUIZ SHOW!"

What.

Two disco balls appeared from the ceiling, lighting up the room... a tiny bit, in many different colors. Above the game show host was a large sign that read simply, "GAME SHOW" in bold, red and pink letters.

Turning to me, the machine then commented, "OH BOY! I CAN ALREADY TELL IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT SHOW! EVERYONE GIVE A BIG HAND FOR OUR WONDERFUL CONTESTANT!"

Suddenly, I felt... something falling on me, and I could see colors. Confetti? I thought, grabbing some and looking at it to confirm my suspicion. Ooooh. Emitting a long sigh, I glanced back to see Toriel, Sans, Papyrus and Aaron laughing like idiots and clapping. I sent a death glare their way, but none of them seemed to see. I wanted to back up a little bit more, but I decided... eh, I guess I'll stay. After all, all eyes were on me, and I didn't want to look like a coward for backing out.

"NEVER PLAYED BEFORE, GORGEOUS?"

What did he just call m-

"NO PROBLEM! IT'S SIMPLE! THERE'S ONLY ONE RULE!"

For a moment, that brought me relief. Only one rule. I hated rules, so only having one sounded nice.

"ANSWER CORRECTLY... OR YOU DIE!"

The screen on the robot began flashing red and yellow as it seemed to... laugh? I felt a chill go down my spine. Die? He wasn't being serious, right? I nearly got to glance back at Papyrus, but, hearing shuffling to my right, I looked to find Alphys slowly inching her way closer to the spotlight, giving me an encouraging look once there was enough light for me to see her.

"How about no?" I challenged, my confidence up. "What if I don't-"

"Talking back is against the rules!" The host of the game show exclaimed. "Don't worry though, you've never played before, so I'll let it slide."

You said there was only one rule! I was tempted to yell, but with the risk of getting attacked while I had no items was too great. I wouldn't dare purposefully get on his bad side.

"LET'S START WITH AN EASY ONE!" He chimed. "WHAT'S THE PRIZE FOR ANSWERING CORRECTLY?"

A screen suddenly popped up, giving me four answers.

A) Money  
 _I hope!_  
B) Mercy  
 _That's not menacing at all..._  
C) New Car  
 _How would a car help me without roads?_  
D) More Questions  
 _Please no..._

Unsure of my answer, I glanced back up. Alphys' hands were curved in a way that seemed to resemble the letter D. Judging by how the robot was acting, I figured it's not too far fetched for that to be the correct answer. Deciding to trust Alphys, I pressed D.

"RIGHT! SOUNDS LIKE YOU GET IT!"

Breathing a subtle sigh of relief, I felt ready for the next question.

"HERE'S YOUR TERRIFIC PRIZE? WHAT'S THE KING'S FULL NAME?"

A) Lord Fluffybuns  
 _I couldn't help but snicker at that one._  
B) Fuzzy Pushover  
 _Obviously not his real name, but still amusing._  
C) Asgore Dreemurr  
 _Obviously his real name. Wait, where did I hear it before? ... Seems the most likely out of all these names._  
D) Dr. Friendship  
 _NOPE._

Without needing to even glance at Alphys, I clicked Asgore Dreemurr.

"ENOUGH ABOUT YOU, LET'S TALK ABOUT ME! WHAT ARE ROBOTS MADE OF?"  
A) Hopes and Dreams  
 _No...?_  
B) Metal and Magic  
 _Probably._  
C) Snips and Snails  
 _No!_  
D) Sugar and Spice  
 _Not that either._

Growing confident I could answer all the questions without Alphys' help, I pressed B, Metal and Magic. It seemed to work, as he continued.

"TOO EASY FOR YOU, HUH?"

I started to regret my earlier thought.

"ANOTHER EASY ONE FOR YOU!"

Ok, let's see what we have. The question appeared on a large screen, instead of the robot saying it himself. It read;

_Two trains, Train A and Train B, simultaneously depart Station A and Station B.  
Station A and Station B are 252.5 miles apart from each other.  
Train A is moving at 124.7 mph towards Station B, and Train B is moving at 253.5 mph towards Station A.  
If both trains departed at 10:00AM and it is now 10:08, how much longer until both trains pass each other?_

Trying to read the question quickly, I thought I found a loophole. "It says the trains are heading towards each other, as they're heading towards the stations the other train left, with no mention of changing direction at any point to avoid the other. They won't pass each other, the trains will crash and everyone inside the train will die. You're a terrible pers- robot, I mean, for asking that question."

Apparently, that wasn't the right answer. A shock went through my body, causing me to collapse, mostly from surprise. My entire body hurt, but the pain was quickly dulling. At least I wasn't dead. I jumped back up, shooting him a glare. I glanced at Alphys too, and she seemed to be worried, but holding back laughter at the same time.

"WRONG!" The robot shouted, before continuing the questions. "DON'T _COUNT_ ON YOUR VICTORY!" Was that a pun- "HOW MANY FLIES IN THIS JAR?" Yes, yes it was a pun. Wow. A jar appeared on screen, full of flies. I look at my answers.

A) 54  
B) 53  
C) 55  
D) 52

Hopelessly, and with a time limit, I glanced at Alphys. A. Thank you, Alphys! I slammed 'A' as hard as I could.

"CORRECT! YOU'RE SO LUCKY TODAY!"

Not wanting to give away that Alphys was helping me, I commented casually, "No, just smart."

The game show host made a slight gasping noise. "GETTING COCKY, ARE WE, DARLING? WELL, HERE'S THE NEXT QUESTION. LET'S PLAY A MEMORY GAME! WHAT MONSTER IS THIS?"

A picture of a Froggit appeared on-screen. I looked at the choices.

A) Froggit  
 _Duh_  
B) Whimsun  
 _Nope_  
C) Moldsmal  
 _Again, nope_  
D) Mettaton  
 _What the hell is a Mettaton?_

I was about to press A, Froggit, but out of curiosity, I glanced up at Alphys. She was saying D, Mettaton. Uh, no...? That was definitely a Froggit. Making the mistake of ignoring her, I pressed A.

The picture zoomed out. It was a picture of the robot, I'm assuming named Mettaton, wearing a shirt with a Froggit on it. "THAT'S EMBARRASSING, ISN'T IT?" Mettaton asked, before zapping me again. I winced, but didn't fall over this time, as it wasn't as painful as before. The pain was probably about half the amount as the first zap, actually. "CAN YOU GET THIS ONE?"

I made a mental note to trust Alphys this time.

"WOULD YOU SMOOCH A GHOST?"

All the answers were 'Heck Ya.' Alphys was giving Mettaton a 'really?' sort of look.

Meh. I'll play along. "HECK YA!" I screeched, pressing as many of the buttons as I could.

"GREAT ANSWER, I LOVE IT!"

I could hear the others laughing behind me. On the cost of me getting hurt, sure, but I couldn't deny that it was pretty funny.

"HERE'S A SIMPLE ONE!"

A screen popped up. The question was simple; how many letters in the name Mettaton? However, as I was about to answer, I saw the letters going up. Confused, I looked up to see the amount of 'n's on the name Mettaton kept going up. Glancing at Alphys, her answer was C, so I pressed that.

"OF COURSE THAT WAS EASY FOR YOU! TIME TO BREAK OUT THE BIG GUNS! IN THE DATING SIMULATION VIDEO GAME "MEW MEW KISSY CUTIE", WHAT IS MEW MEW'S FAVORITE FOOD?" Before I had time to question what on earth the question even meant, Alphys spoke up.

"OH! OH! I know this one! It's snail ice cream! In the fourth chapter, everyone goes to the beach! And she buys ice cream for all her friends! But it's snail flavor and she's the only one who wants it! It's one of my favorite parts of the game because it's actually a very powerful message about..." Upon realizing she was ranting, and gave away the answer, she began slowing down. "... friendship... and..."

"ALPHYS, ALPHYS, ALPHYS." Mettaton shook his entire body, since he didn't really have a head. "YOU AREN'T HELPING OUR CONTESTANT, ARE YOU?"

Alphys frantically shook her head.

"OOOH! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME! I'LL ASK A QUESTION... YOU'LL BE SURE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO! WHO DOES DR. ALPHYS HAS A CRUSH ON?"

Alphys quickly hid her face, letting out a girly squeal and quietly scolding Mettaton for asking such an embarrassing question. I couldn't read any expression from Mettaton, considering, y'know, no face, but I could tell he was quite proud of himself. Upon realizing he wasn't going to ask a different question, she turned to me and tried to motion for me to not answer. Sorry Alphys, but I don't want to get zapped again. I looked at the answers.

A) Undyne  
 _Uh, probably not? I mean, Undyne's a warrior who wants to kill me, and Alphys is an anime-watching scientist who seems to want to help me. Then again... maybe Alphys does like Undyne? Maybe Alphys also wants to kill me? Crap, I don't know!_  
B) Asgore  
 _Uhhh.... again not sure about this one. It'd be rather dramatic though. Star-crossed lovers, a scientist who wants to help a criminal human (maybe), but also loves her king who she's betraying at the same time... hilarious, I could totally make a movie out of that. People would buy it, right? Right??? Oooh, I could also make a movie about a fish warrior who wants to kill the human, but her lover who wants to save her, but not betray the warrior... Ok, next question._  
C) The Human.  
 _Oh._  
D) Don't know.  
 _Well, I don't want to answer 'don't know', because I'll get zapped, surely._

With a smirk, I winked and clicked my tongue, pressing C, The Human. Sure, I didn't have any romantic interest in her at all, but I couldn't help it, I'd pay to see her reaction, and what Mettaton would say. Alphys was frowning in disbelief, which I giggled at.

"... SERIOUSLY?" Mettaton asked, also in disbelief. "MY MY... HOW CONCEITED CAN YOU GET...? I LOVE IT! AND WHILE YOU'RE COMPLETELY WRONG, YOU DESERVE SOME CREDIT. I'VE SEEN HER WATCH YOU ON HER COMPUTER SCREEN..."

Alphys jaw dropped, and she loudly whispered, "Mettaton, are you freaking serious?"

"SMILING WHEN YOU SUCCEED..." I snickered. "SHRIEKING WHEN YOU FAIL." I was full-on laughing at this point. "AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS WHISPERING..." I looked up and stopped laughing slightly to see what Mettaton would say. His voice changed to a higher pitch, probably to mock Alphys. "NO! WRONG! YOU HAVE TO GO THAT WAY!"

I fell to the ground with laughter, rolling over a bit more dramatically than usual, just because it was embarrassing Alphys. I didn't like Mettaton, because he hurt me... but dammit, he was funny! I could hear the others laughing too, Sans' voice laughing the loudest despite him usually sounding quieter than most others in the group.

"IN IT'S OWN WAY, IS THIS NOT LOVE?" Mettaton finished, clearly amused himself. Eventually, my laughter faded, and I stood back up. "WELL, WELL, WELL. WITH DR. ALPHYS HELPING YOU, THE SHOW HAS NO DRAMATIC TENSION! WE CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS! BUT. BUT!!! THIS WAS JUST THE PILOT EPISODE! NEXT UP, MORE DRAMA! MORE ROMANCE! MORE BLOODSHED! UNTIL NEXT TIME, DARLINGS!" His arms and the wheel he was balancing on, which seemed to be in place of legs, tucked into his body. Fire emitted from where he tucked his legs in, and he just sort of... shot off, like a rocket. Uh, bye? I giggled.

"... W-Well... that was certainly something." Alphys laughed nervously. I nodded, in a much better mood than before, even though the feeling of being zapped was still fresh on my mind. "Oh yeah, I should give you my phone number!" Quickly realizing what she said, she loudly shouted, "NOT BECAUSE OF YOUR QUIZ SHOW ANSWER." I laughed at that, and replied,

"Don't worry, I was just joking." I shrugged.

Alphys nodded at that, smiling. "I could g-guess. Anyways... oh yeah, I never did finish fixing your phone! Give me a minute! You guys can relax here for a bit, it'll only take a minute!" Alphys ran off again to... wherever she was going, but before disappearing, murmuring, "O-Oh, and that last question... Mettaton wasn't supposed to ask that one."

"You alright, human? You got zapped quite a few times." Papyrus commented as I walked back over to the group. I shook my head, and rubbed my arms.

"Don't worry, I'm fine!" I smiled. "That was funny."

Toriel nodded. "He even said a pun! Two of them, actually. Haha, I have a feeling we'll see him again... you should probably rest up though, after that."

I shrugged. "P-"

"I knew you were faking when you tried to flirt with Alphys, y'know why?" Aaron commented.

"Uh, w-"

"Because you obviously like this instead." Aaron flexed, causing Papyrus to give him an 'are you serious?', yet slightly amused look, probably in disbelief that Aaron was _still_ attempting, and failing, to flirt.

"Pfft, nope!" I responded flatly, responding with a flex of my own... and quickly regretting it, since I didn't have nearly as much muscle as he did. Despite that, I continued, "You can't beat this, seahorse." Aaron seemed to be offended, but winked anyway. Oh come on. Only a few seconds later, Alphys ran up the stairs. How on earth did she fix my phone that fast? No way!

Alphys handed me the phone. "H-Here you go! I added quite a few features! And added my phone number, th-that way if you need h-help, you can call! It's got a keychain, texting, and you can even transfer items into the phone! Uh... d-don't ask how. Magic?" She laughed nervously, something that seemed to be a habit of hers. "I even signed you up for the underground's No. 1 social network!"

"Sweet." I grinned. "What's my username, though?"

Alphys grinned back. "Well, you can decide that part for yourself. And the password, obviously. Just let me know when you're done!" The yellow dinosaur-like monster explained. "Now we're officially friends!" The girl laughed to herself, a bit awkwardly. Not knowing what to say next, she awkwardly looked around while I casually made myself an account on the... Undernet.

"If you'd like, you guys can stay here for a bit. Hotland is a bit of a p-pain to get through sometimes."

Papyrus winced. "Yeah, I hate going through Hotland. Steam vents everywhere. And conveyor belts! They make Undyne sick. I also know Hotland like the back of my hand! ... Which, since I'm wearing gloves, I know basically nothing about."

"You sound pretty _steamed_ up about the whole situation." Sans commented.

Papyrus took a deep breath in... somehow, before murmuring, "I just get _fired_ up easily. Guess I'm a bit _hot_ -headed when it comes to these things."

Toriel burst out laughing, as did me, Alphys and Aaron upon seeing Sans' confused expression. Papyrus seemed quite proud, as expected.

"On that note, yes, I think we should stay here for a bit, if you don't mind. It's getting rather late..." Toriel murmured.

"I can bring you guys some blankets from downstairs!" Alphys offered. Seeing my uncomfortable expression, Alphys jokingly added, "Don't worry, Mettaton won't come back."

"Can I sleep in the hole in the wall?" I asked, pointing to where Mettaton destroyed the wall.

"... I have a couch..." Alphys commented. "You d-don't need to sleep there!"

"But why sleep on the couch when you can sleep in a hole in the wall that a killer robot emerged from?" I deadpanned. Alphys slowly nodded, trying to hold back even more laughter.

"A-Alright then, you can sleep there. Just... be careful there, it's not a typical sleeping spot." Alphys warned. Taking it as a yes, I excitedly raced over to the wall. Part of me was yelling, _Why are you acting like you two are friends? You just met each other! And what if someone in your group tries to kill you in your sleep? What if Alphys is a liar? What if Mettaton returns?_ But I did my best to ignore those thoughts, just for one night. I just hoped that one night wouldn't kill me.

Alphys came back with several blankets. Alphys slept in her bed upstairs, Toriel slept on the couch, Aaron constructed a sleeping bag of sorts made out of a couple blankets, Sans... basically fused with the blankets to become a burrito... don't ask, and Papyrus just wasn't interested in sleeping at all. I was thankful for that, quietly realizing that it's good the guy I trust most... er, I guess, the only guy I trust doesn't need much sleep. It's good, because he can look out for danger, and I had to force myself to trust him if anything went badly. Honestly, if Papyrus did sleep often, like a normal person, I would've never stayed in that lab.

I myself, had a single large blanket, and, as I said I could, slept rather comfortably in the destroyed wall. It was the perfect size, and actually rather comfy. Papyrus seated himself against a wall facing me, and was there until I fell asleep.

And for once, I actually felt... happy.

(Flowey's POV)

"Augh... let's hope this works." I grumbled under my breath. Frisk was already in Hotland. I didn't have much time. As I began to go (further?) underground, I heard my most recent ally make a disgusted noise.

"Ew... you're going underground again?"

"We're already underground, Woshua! Come on, I don't have all day."

"... I'll just walk there." Woshua murmured.

"Well, be quick about this. If this actually worked, we only have a few minutes." Without waiting for a response, I dove underground, merely seconds later appearing in a corridor. It was a simple corridor, most of which just completely forget it exists because of how plain it is.

Except, for right now.

I thought it was impossible. Having the door appear twice in the same timeline. I'm not sure if Frisk went in the first time. Even if she did... she probably wouldn't remember, aside from feeling a bit paranoid.

There, the door stood. It's a simple grey door, almost no one knows about it. Waiting for about a minute, Woshua, RG 03 and 04, and Doge finally caught up.

"There you guys are. I've been waiting forever!" I snapped. "This door doesn't wait for everyone."

"Let's open it, then." Doge murmured, her tail slowly waving back and forth, the glass making a clicking sound as it moved. RG 03 and 04, the mantis-like and cat-like creatures mostly hidden by their armor, stood still as stone behind Doge, waiting. Despite showing no expression, all three were so excited, they were holding back tears. Woshua didn't have the same knowledge or connection those three did, but he was excited nonetheless.

A vine erupted from the ground, and curled around the door, roughly turning the handle open. The door swung open, and I dove underground, and then back up just to get a bit closer to him without having to use my roots. Hard to walk with roots, y'know. I could hear the quiet footsteps of the four others following me, Woshua coming in last and gently closing the door, then attempting to wash it before realizing he was only spreading dust on the door instead of water, like he was used to.

Now, it was time for the plan to begin.

The skeleton was facing us as we walked in. Smiling, he'd expected us all along.

And I smiled back.


	36. Whispers of Hotland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus' POV for this chapter o3o

The night, for the first time in a while, was calm and quiet. The only sounds were the soft humming of the sounds in the lab, the occasional noise that seemed to be coming from downstairs, and the obnoxious snoring of my brother.

I, myself, had nearly drifted off to sleep, when I heard something. Someone talking. My eyesockets snapped open, my head darting around the room. Everyone seemed to still be asleep, even Frisk, curled up in the hole in the wall. Why she'd choose that as a place to sleep is beyond me, but I wasn't too phased by it. Hard to be phased by it when the memory of your brother sleeping in a coat still hung up on a coat hanger is still fresh on your mind, despite it happening quite a while ago now. He sleeps in strange places all the time.

Reminding myself of why I had been jolted awake in the first place, I didn't get up, but instead looked around, trying to tell where the sound was coming from. I could hear them whispering, almost... nervously? Excitedly? One seemed to be laughing, but the others didn't seem to share that mood. Where were they coming from? It sounded like everywhere. I closed my eyes, and tried to focus on their words. I couldn't hear all of them, only those that whispered the loudest. The others just blended into the buzzing noises in the lab.

_Flowey..._

_Working together..._

_Plotting..._

_Stay alert..._

_Protect Frisk.._

Wait, what? I could only make out a few words, but I heard enough. I stood up, now panicking slightly. Who were those voices, talking about Flowey and Frisk? Protect Frisk? Were they asking me? The darkness of the lab didn't help much, so I let my eyes glow briefly, trying to find something out of order, someone, or maybe a whole group, hiding in the shadows.

I saw nothing, but a new crack in the wall.

I went over to it, summoning a bone attack... just in case. My eyes glowed again, just long enough to peer inside. I didn't want to wake anyone up, after all, and glowing your eyes can be hard! Despite my best efforts, I couldn't see anything unnatural about it. Just a simple crack, as if to remind us of the brokenness around. A shiver crept it's way down my spine as I turned away from it, inching closer to where Frisk slept. I didn't know what to do... but the least I could do was heed their warning. If I'd even heard anything at all, which I was beginning to doubt. I couldn't hear anything anymore, except the dull noises in the lab, nothing unusual.

Yet, as I looked back at Alphys' desk... curiosity gripped me. I swerved around, now making a bee-line towards the computer. Alphys was the Royal Scientist, so there were cameras around here, right? Vaguely, the memory of Undyne telling me so came back. Quietly as I could, I shook the mouse, which caused the computer screen to light up. It didn't take me long to find the cameras.

This was my chance. I could find out what Flowey was up too. Searching through the cameras, though, I couldn't find him anywhere... at all. Nothing. Not even Woshua or the broken Royal Guard. I found some of the broken dogs, well, by that I mean I found just Dogamy, Dogaressa and Doggo, but they seemed to be waiting for something. Beside them sat Snowdrake and Chilldrake, but they seemed to be waiting as well. They kept looking towards Waterfall.

As I scanned the cameras more, I soon found something that made me jump back.

It was a hooded cat-like figure, holding a... a skull. Not a human one, but it wasn't a skull I recognized. Upon looking at it closer, I was relieved to realize that it wasn't a skull at all. It was a mask. Somehow breathing a small sigh of relief, I realized soon that I shouldn't celebrate too early. The hooded figure just... stood there, waiting. He was smiling, though.

The mysterious feline seemed to... flicker, like a dying light, fading in and out of existence. I just stared back, until the flickering suddenly stopped. The figure stared into the camera, it's grin growing wider, as it held onto the mask with one paw and it's tail swayed side to side. Around them, the earth below seemed to crack and break, slowly, as if the earth couldn't handle the weight. But I knew that wasn't the reason, as the figure looked quite skinny under it's grayscale hoodie. In fact, it's entire being, from the mask, to the clothing, to the body seemed to be different shades of gray, white or black.

Feeling unnerved, I checked some other cameras instead. Checking the camera on the bridge, I could see Undyne sitting on the platform, her feet dangling off the edge. MK sat quietly beside her. The two seemed quite calm and relaxed, especially MK. I could tell by the look on Undyne's face that she was worried. I was likely the cause of that, and I felt rather guilty for it. Or maybe she was afraid of Flowey coming back? Either way, I found myself quietly watching the scene, as, even though I was just watching through a camera, it was oddly peaceful. Yet, it didn't last, as I noticed an odd shadow. It wasn't Undyne's or MK's shadow. It was coming from the tunnel, someone was watching them. Looking closer, it was hard to see exactly what the shape looked like because of the... compromised quality of the video, but I could see enough.

The shadow's outline perfectly matched MK's, except it was wearing a bow, and it's horns weren't as noticeable, if at all.

Yet, it couldn't be MK's. The shadows didn't connect, and the way the shadows were going from the light source just didn't match up. Managing to zoom in, I tried zooming in on the cave's entrance, but I could only see the outline, nothing more. I tried switching a camera, but it seems they've found a pretty decent blind spot.

I couldn't take any chances, I needed to warn them that there was someone else in the room! I stood up, though quickly stopped. I couldn't leave Frisk. Thinking further on the matter, I remembered that MK once said he had a sister. Reluctantly, I sat back down. It couldn't be anything more than that, right? I checked more cameras, but nothing seemed to show up.

Hesitantly, I turned the camera back to where I saw the hooded figure.

Thankfully, it was no longer looking at the camera. Not-so-thankfully, it seemed to be waiting for something I wasn't aware of, just as the broken Snowdin monsters were. What were they waiting for? What were they looking at? No matter what camera I went too, I couldn't see a thing.

Quietly, I decided to search for any files that I might be missing, any cameras I couldn't see. I'm no computer nerd, not by any means, but I knew basic things I suppose. I guess it wasn't enough though. I did manage to find two folders called True_Tapes, and another called Lab_Test, but they were both passcode locked. Thinking, I wondered, 'Maybe I could get lucky, and guess her passcode.' Going to the True_Tapes file, I typed in ALPHYS. Yes, in all caps. As I pressed enter, Alphys' phone made a 'ping' noise, like she got a notification. As fast as I could, I returned the computer to how it looked when I got there (as best I could, anyways) and went back to the wall where I was seated before.

After waiting about 5 minutes, no one seemed to get up, so I was almost tempted to sleep. Though, remembering the warning I'd heard, I was scared to. Debating it with myself for a bit, I soon came up with a masterful solution! I, the great Papyrus, would do both! Placing myself near the entrance of the hole in the wall where Frisk slept, I slept there, so if anything did happen, I'd be sure to wake up! Happy with my plan, I curled up and went to sleep.

When I woke up, I heard the sound of shuffling in front of me. I jumped up, my eyes glowing to light up the room... only to be met with my brother's confused and slightly worried expression.

"... You ok, bro? It's just me." Sans asked quiety. A bit embarrassed by my reaction, my eyes stopped glowing. I could barely see him in the darkness as the light faded away. "Nightmare?" Sans guessed.

Not knowing how to explain it, I murmured, "Er... yeaah...."

"You're a terrible liar." Sans scoffed. "What happened?" Maybe dodging the question wasn't the best idea. Sans was usually pretty good at telling when I was lying, and this was one of those times.

"Well, I just thought I heard something last night. Like, talking. But no one was there, so I got a bit spooked." I explained, casually not mentioning the fact that they were warning me to protect Frisk.

Sans blinked a couple times, as if surprised. He looked like he was about to say something, then stopped, then finally murmured, "Must be your imagination." Now it was my turn to tell he was lying. He did that a lot, but I rarely called him out on it. I couldn't help but wonder, did he hear the whispers too? He must've heard them at a different time than I did, as he was asleep.

I nodded, despite me knowing it was a lie. "Yeah, you're right. It was just the sounds of the lab, probably." I explained. Sans nodded as well.

"Think anyone else is up?" He asked, changing subject. To my surprise, Frisk must've been listening to the conversation, as she quietly shoved herself through the hole in the wall, and, quite literally, dragged herself over to us. She didn't even stand up, she just dragged herself along the floor. I shook my head. "Guess that answers your question," I murmured to Sans.

Sans, too, seemed a bit worried at the fact that Frisk probably heard what we were saying. Yet, I started to doubt she heard a thing. She was smiling, and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't normally smile at talk about weird whispers out of nowhere. "Why are you smiling, kiddo?" Sans eventually asked.

"Says the smiling trashbag." Frisk yawned back, her smile fading as she rolled around on the floor, maybe in an attempt to wake herself up.

Sans' eyesockets narrowed, but he said nothing. Suddenly, though, his eyesockets lit up, like he was about to... tell a pun. Oh no.

"Sans-"

"Don't be such a _drag_ , Frisk."

NOOOO! Unfortunately, if I yelled this, it'd wake everyone up, so I had to whisper. Frisk was glaring at Sans from the darkness of the room, before quickly scurrying back to her sleeping spot. Sans was laughing quietly to himself as he walked back to the fortress of blankets he'd made for himself.

Once Sans had gone back to sleep, which took... about 2 seconds at most, Frisk waddled back over to me. Yes, waddled. Graceful, isn't it? Anyways, she sat down and yawned. "So, why are you guys up so early in the morning?" Frisk asked.

"Why are you?"

"Hard to..." She paused to yawn, "stay asleep when an obnoxiously loud skeleton is talking about spooky whispering noises with his annoying brother."

"He's not annoying!" I defended.

Frisk frowned, uttering, "Slightly less annoying brother. That's as good as he's gonna get. Anyways, you woke me up. What's this about whispering?"

I frowned, not sure how to explain it. So, I just copied the conclusion I came to a couple minutes before. "Just the sounds of the lab." I paused, then added, "Or maybe I was so tired, I thought I heard whispering, but didn't."

Frisk opened her mouth, like she was going to speak, then turned away. "Alright." Seeming suddenly uninterested, she walked back to the hole in the wall. I was confused, to say the least. What, did she _want_ me to be hearing weird voices...? Suddenly, a thought came to mind. Maybe she was hearing the voices too, and didn't want to be all alone. I felt bad for her. But I didn't want anyone else to wake up and hear the conversation. Deciding what I'd do, I quietly told Frisk and Sans to meet me outside the lab. We all walked to the back of the lab, and the door opened automatically. I couldn't help but question the safety of that.

Sans and Frisk looked at me expectantly. "So, why did you bring us out here?" Frisk eventually questioned.

"Well... about the whispering noises... I wasn't being totally honest." I admitted. It seemed my previous guess about Frisk was true, as she seemed happy to hear this. Sans, on the other hand, looked quite concerned. "It sounded like people talking. I couldn't see them, and most of them I couldn't hear, but I could make out certain words. They... they were talking about Flowey and Frisk, I think."

Frisk quickly spoke up. "You've been hearing them too? I've heard them... jeez, when was it? Since... Snowdin, I think?" She admitted. "I know for a fact it wasn't until sometime after you sorta captured me in our little fight back in Snowdin."

"That seems like forever ago, now." Sans laughed. "Well... I think I know what you guys are talking about. I've heard whispering, but I never know what they're saying. It seems like they aren't talking to me, if that makes sense."

A moment of silence passed. I guess we were all thinking of what to say. A few moments later, Frisk asked, "Do you think anyone else can hear the voices?"

Sans shook his head. "Doesn't seem like it. I'm just wondering where they come from. Or if they're helping us at all."

"I'm still alive, and I've been more-or-less taking their advice." Frisk commented.

"You seem quite happy to be talking about this." Sans commented, in a slightly accusing tone. Frisk simply responded,

"Glad I ain't the only one." After she spoke, Frisk's stomach let out a loud, odd sound. From surprise, I nearly jumped, causing Frisk to burst into laughter. "Apparently I'm hungry!" Noticing my probably worried expression, she added, "Uh, your st- wait, you're a skeleton. You don't have a stomach." She laughed to herself, then proceeded to explain that her stomach will sometimes make noises when it needs food.

"I know that!" I insisted. "Just startled me, that's all. Anyways, I can't really backtrack all the way to Snowdin for more spaghetti, and I'm not sure if Alphys will let us have food or not, so... I know that there's food at the MTT hotel! But it's all quite expensive."

Sans quietly spoke up. "I have a semi-legal hotdog stand. And hotcat stand."

Frisk and I both shot each other confused looks. "How the hell is something semi-legal?" Frisk eventually asked. "And what's a hotcat?"

Unfortunately, before Sans could answer the question, or I could scold Frisk on her language, the door behind us opened, Alphys stepping out. "O-Oh, hey guys! That's where y-you went! I got w-worried. Toriel and Aaron are s-still sleeping. W-What are you guys doing o-out here? If you don't m-mind me asking."

"Just enjoying the outdoors." Sans commented nonchalantly.

I frowned. "More like NOT enjoying it! Hotland is too... Hotland."

"That makes sense." Frisk rolled her eyes.

"Well it is!" I replied. "It's too hot, it's puzzles are garbage, this whole place is garbage. I want to get out of here as soon as possible!" I argued.

"Your face is garbage!" Frisk exclaimed, ending the poorly constructed insult by sticking her tongue out like a child.

"U-Uh... h-hey, guys... do you want some f-food? I have some noodles in th-"

Before the scientist could finish her sentence, Frisk charged past her excitedly. I couldn't help but laugh at both Frisk's reaction to food, and Alphys' startled expression as the human raced past her. Unsurprisingly, I could hear Aaron and Toriel being woken up.

After a little while, everyone had eaten (except for Toriel and Aaron, they claimed they weren't hungry. Sans hypothesized that broken monsters didn't need to eat, since they were already dead. No one seems to know for sure, but I say his guess seems at least somewhat accurate). While Alphys insisted that she'd watch us from her cameras and call us when we needed advice, the rest of us went to Hotland. I couldn't help but dislike it, though. I hated Hotland. It's only redeeming quality was that Alphys and Mettaton were here. Everything else was just. Garbage.

Not only that... something always felt off about it.

Only a few moments after leaving the lab, Alphys seemed to have either forgotten we were getting notifications from her Undernet account, or just didn't care, because the updates were driving me insane. Frisk seemed to find it funny, though.

First, Alphys updated, commenting on the fact that she watched Undyne fight the human, how interesting she found it, and that she'd have to talk with Undyne later. She didn't go into any more detail than that, not even commenting on how Flowey interrupted it. As we went on those stupid moving sidewalk... things, Frisk accidentally tripped on a Vulkin that was going the other way, but accidentally took the wrong side. Frisk briefly swore at it, telling it to get lost. I broke up the fight rather easily, but I was rather unfazed at this point. Disappointing, yes, but unfazed. That's just how the human is. Looking back, I felt bad, as the Vulkin seemed to be on the verge of tears until Toriel comforted it. 

After that incident, we all kept walking. Frisk seemed eager to change subject off of the fight, and, out of curiosity, I couldn't help but ask,

"Did you get into many fights on the surface?"

The others went quiet, and Frisk seemed to ponder something for a moment. "Without a doubt, yes. Fights were everything up there. It's how we humans survive."

"Surely there's peaceful parts too?" Toriel asked, frowning. "I remember the other humans saying that, while the surface had flaws, there were good things, too."

"Then those humans are weak. The weak die. It's survival of the fittest up there, and it's never gonna change." Frisk growled. "That's how I got down here in the first place. I was just trying to survive, but I messed with the wrong woman. I was too weak."

"...'s that why you killed so many monsters? You thought you were too weak?"

Frisk eyed him for a moment. She said nothing, and continued on. We took it as a yes. Before anyone could say a thing, Frisk continued, "I'm not exactly sure what you all think of that. But, to prove my point, I said the other humans were weak for saying that the surface could be peaceful. Where are those humans now? As far as I'm aware, they're dead. The only time it was ever peaceful up there was when I was too young to realize, and when..." She hesitated. "No, not even with my gang. Even the only thing that kept me alive out there isn't peaceful. Do you get it now?" The human asked us. "That's why I'm so... aggressive. The world has no mercy. You guys are the closest thing to 'mercy' I'll ever get."

No one dared to speak a word. I wanted to say something, or maybe even to comfort, but I could tell the human wasn't in the mood to be argued with. Maybe I shouldn't have asked that question, but I was glad I knew. Alphys was probably listening to the conversation as well, but she made no sign of acknowledgement aside from a security camera silently moving it's head to follow us.

We made it to the Magma Chamber. Or something like that, I forget it's name. I couldn't care to remember it, I hate Hotland anyways. Frisk finally spoke up again, only to murmur to herself, "Yeah, steam vents that carry you across a huge pit that leads to a lava-y grave. That's safe as anything, ain't it?" I silently agreed, but I didn't say anything, maybe because I was too scared to say anything more. As we passed, we were startled by a monster. Tsundereplane, I think was her name. "Huh? You look like a plane..." Frisk murmured as she looked up at Tsundereplane.

"What's a plane? N-Not like I care, baka!" The shy monster shouted back. I wasn't surprised that she'd ask, because... I'd never heard of a plane before. Wait, maybe I saw something like that on a newspaper in the garbage dump? I couldn't remember. 

Frisk didn't seem eager to fight her, I noticed. In fact, she seemed rather intimidated, probably because of her size, and the fact that she could fly. I started to notice, from the human's past actions, that her claim about her viewing the world as merciless was her honest opinion. Respecting those stronger than her, being aggressive to those her stand against her, killing those too weak... that is what she believed was right, and it broke my heart just thinking about it. I looked around, and Sans had teleported ahead, uninterested. Toriel and Aaron stayed behind, watching the interaction.

Frisk shook her head. "A plane is a machine that can carry people or things around the world, in the sky. I've never been on one, but I know what they look like. You look just like one. A much smaller one."

Tsundereplane blushed intensely. "Humans made a machine that looks like me? And can fly? Uh, I mean, I don't care, cool I guess." She flapped her wings, before flying away. Frisk had a proud smirk on her face as she seemed to continue, then suddenly took a detour.

"Wrong way, hun." Aaron guided, after being silent almost the entire day.

"Buzz off, seahorse. And call me hun again and I'll shave off that stupid hair of yours!" She barked. "I know where I'm going." I doubted she even had a clue, but surprisingly, she actually found a frying pan. Grabbing it off the ground, she let out a cheerful screech of victory. "Haha! Finally, something I can actually use!" She boasted. Twirling the frying pan in her hands, she looked up at Aaron, a smirk on her face. "Told ya this was the right way." Aaron crossed his arms and pouted,

"Lucky guess." Frisk ignored him and walked away. Deciding to use this chance to get myself further on her good side, as her mood seemed to be switching rather easily today, I commented,

"Nice job on finding that, human! I wouldn't have thought to check here."

Frisk's eyes lit up, without a doubt happy with my comment. She squealed, but only for a split second before realizing what she was doing, and awkwardly coughing and muttering that we should continue on. 'but thanks, I guess'. Why am I not surprised?

As we got to the end of the steam vents puzzle, Frisk got a call. It rang twice, but before Frisk could answer, whoever called hung up. Frisk looked confused.

"That was probably Al." Sans informed, continuing to walk without stopping.

As we walked to the next room, we were greeted with the laser puzzles. Personally, I found the puzzles I made in Snowdin were much better. Lasers were stupid. Hotland was stupid. Oh, did I mention yet that I hate Hotland? Glad I don't live there. Frisk, again, got a call, but this time Frisk actually managed to answer it.

"Uh, hi! S-so, the blue lasers... uh, I mean, uhm, Alphys here! H-Hi guys! Uh, the blue lasers won't hurt you if you don't move! O-Orange ones, um, y-you have to be moving, and they... um, they won't, um... go through those ones.... bye!" Alphys hung up. Frisk placed her phone back into her pocket.

I walked forward, but Frisk blocked the way. "Watch this, I won't be hit by a single one!" Frisk claimed, running through the first ones, then slowly inching her way through a blue one that moved back and forth, eventually allowing her past. The cycle repeated, her going through an orange one, then a blue one, then another orange. Then, she was greeted with two blue lasers, which she easily made her way past. She looked towards a button. "This button turns off the lasers, right?" She called. Sans answered with a nod, so she pressed the button, allowing us to just walk through. "I was right, did you guys see that? I went through a bunch of lasers unscathed!" She exclaimed proudly.

I nodded. "Well done, human! You still won't be as good as puzzles as I, the great Papyrus! But you did pretty good."

"That a challenge, bonehead?" Frisk smirked. "Game on."

Frisk bolted along, probably looking for another puzzle. With ease, I caught up to her with no more than a light jog while she was running. It's for this reason mainly I love being tall. That, and I can just walk over many puzzles, and can reach things on the top shelf while my older brother can't. There's several other things too. Well, at least with a rival of sorts, going through Hotland would be more fun. Every now and then, I glanced over my shoulder. Toriel and Aaron were attempting to catch up, (which was going badly for them), and Sans just lazily teleported closer every minute or so. My phone buzzed, telling me that Alphys had updated again, but I ignored them for the time being. As we neared the next puzzle, Alphys tried to call again, but Frisk grabbed the phone and hung it up, before putting it back into her pocket. "Sorry Alphys, I'm busy beating Papyrus at puzzles!" Frisk called out. Wait, HEY! I'm better at puzzles!

We stopped once we reached the puzzle. North, the door was locked. Looks like we have to solve puzzles to the left and right. I'd done these puzzles before. Didn't like them, of course.

I ran to the left, while Frisk ran to the right. I knew the puzzle on the left was the harder one, but I was confident I could do it. There was a blue laser blocking my way, but I just jumped over it. On the other side was a green fire monster, and her friend, a purple monster. Both of them wore their school uniforms. Wasn't the fire monster, Fuku Fire, Grillby's daughter? Her friend I didn't know the name of, but I could tell just by looking at her that she was a delinquent of sorts. Were they trapped here by the laser? Thankfully, as I turned around, Alphys turned off that laser. With that problem solved, I ran in, and only needed to move the tiles twice before I shot, winning the puzzle. I ran back out, waving at the schoolgirls as I passed. Fuku Fire quietly nodded, and the other just gave me an annoyed look at first, until realizing that I'd completed the puzzle so quickly. She hummed to herself, looking away. Not really paying much attention, I ran back to the doors. Frisk and I had gotten there at about the same time, so we both crashed through the doors, hearing the laughter of Toriel, Sans, and Aaron behind us.

Finally, we stopped when Alphys called us again.

"Uhh... I think, uhm... hey, about the puzzles- wait, you solved them, didn't you? Awesome!" She hung up again. We shrugged, and Frisk put her phone back as we continued on through Hotland. Maybe running around like this wasn't so great in the heat.... as a skeleton, I didn't really notice, but Frisk was sweating quite a bit. We flew over the steam vents, but we slowed our pace as we realized what lay ahead of us.

Complete darkness.

We gave each other confused looks, and we stopped and waited for the others to catch up. Toriel seemed quite angry at the steam vents, and I soon noticed she was holding down her dress as she shot the steam vents an enraged look. Oh. Another reason to hate Hotland!

Sans and I stepped forward into the darkness, Sans' only glowing eye glowing a bright blue. Mine glowed as well, as we lit up the area. A... kitchen?

"A kitchen? In the middle of Hotland?" Toriel asked.

"Guess things are just... _cooking_ in Hotland!" Amazingly enough, this pun was NOT said by Sans. Instead, it was Aaron, who was winking at basically everyone. Even me. "And I'm not talking about the food." He added, striking a pose.

Frisk just gave him a disgusted look. "Go shove your tail down your throat. In other words, stop talking before you get hurt."

Aaron hid behind Toriel, letting out probably the manliest shrieking noise you'll ever hear. 

"Wouldn't shoving your tail down your own throat hurt, as well as make you be quiet?" I questioned. Frisk just shook her head and waved her hand, before walking into the darkness with her head held high.

When her phone rang, she flinched, before quickly picking it up upon realizing it was only Alphys.

"H-Hey, it's kind of dark in there, isn't it?"

"Can't see a dang thing, Alphys. What do you think?" Frisk exclaimed back. Maybe I should've been surprised at her rude retort, but I guess I was just used to how she talks. Alphys wasn't as much, so she went quiet for a moment, before she continued.

"Don't worry! I'll hack into the light system and brighten it up!" As she said she would, the lights flared to life, lighting up the kitchen. "Oh no-"

"OHHHH YES!"

I smiled. It's Mettaton! Frisk quietly groaned to herself, and I heard her whisper, "Dammit, not again!"

"WELCOME, BEAUTIES, TO THE UNDERGROUND'S PREMIER COOKING SHOW!" Mettaton turned towards us and motioned us over. "COOKING WITH A KILLER ROBOT!"

Turning back to the others, I shrugged and tried to hold in my excitement as I walked onto the show, followed by the others. Mettaton circled us, as he continued to speak. "PRE-HEAT YOUR OVENS, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A VERY SPECIAL RECIPE FOR YOU TODAY! WE'RE GOING TO BE MAKING... A CAKE!" Mettaton turned to us, practically shoving a microphone into our faces. "SO, HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER BAKED A CAKE BEFORE?"

Toriel raised a paw. "I have, a few times!" It seemed that, aside from Toriel, none of us had made a cake.

"WONDERFUL, GORGEOUS! HAVE ANY OF YOU MADE ANYTHING ELSE, BEFORE?" Mettaton asked, first pointing to Aaron, who replied,

"I don't need to make anything, this bod is cookin' enough already. Call me, ladies!" Aaron winked at the cameras, causing Mettaton's laughter, and Frisk's annoyance.

"I'm surprised you haven't made that pun yet." I whispered to Sans.

"Too cheese-y. I can make _grater_ ones." Sans whispered, pulling a cheese grater out of his jacket. How? Why???

"MY LOVELY GUEST STARS HERE WILL HELP ME GET THE INGREDIENTS!" Mettaton interrupted. "EVERYONE, GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE!"

A clearly fake audio of an audience clapping was played in the background, and Mettaton joined in the clapping as confetti fell on us. "WE'LL NEED SUGAR, MILK AND EGGS!" He announced. Frisk quickly left to go find the sugar, while Toriel got milk from the fridge, and Sans began to attempt to juggle the eggs.

"GREAT JOB, BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES!" Mettaton exclaimed, once he'd finally convinced Sans to stop trying to juggle the eggs. "WE'VE FINALLY GOT ALL THE INGREDIENTS WE NEED TO BAKE THE CAKE! MILK, SUGAR, EGGS..." He paused, then added, "OH MY! WAIT A MAGNIFICENT MOMENT! HOW COULD I FORGET? WE'RE MISSING THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT?"

Frisk tilted her head curiously, and I also wondered what he was talking about.

"... A HUMAN SOUL." From under the counter, Mettaton pulled out a chainsaw.

A CHAINSAW.

At first, I thought we was joking, until he turned it on and ran closer to Frisk. At first, I didn't move, expecting Frisk to jump out of the way, but she was paralyzed with fear. Was this what the voices were warning me about? I ran forward, but we all paused when the phone rang. "HELLO??? I'M KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING HERE!" Mettaton complained, turning the chainsaw off.

As Alphys began to talk, I started to realize that this still wasn't it. After all, the voices mentioned Flowey. I was supposed to stay alert and protect Frisk, but they must've meant from Flowey. "W-wait a second!" Alphys interrupted. "Couldn't you make a... couldn't you use a... couldn't you make a substitution in the recipe?"

"... A SUBSTITUTION?" Mettaton questioned, displeased. "YOU MEAN USE A DIFFERENT, NON-HUMAN INGREDIENT? ...WHY?"

Thankfully, Aaron proved himself helpful, maybe as an apology for making Frisk angry before. "Human isn't in my diet! It'll ruin my perfect body!" He complained.

Toriel joined in, commenting, "Human souls aren't typically eaten, besides, the people at home won't be able to try this recipe for themselves! There aren't a hundred humans just walking around, ready to be eaten!"

Sans simply added, "Don't think human souls would taste good."

Mettaton slowly lowered the chainsaw. "... REALLY?" Alphys nervously began to speak, trying to defend us, but was interrupted by the enthusiastic robot. "THAT'S A BRILLIANT IDEA! ACTUALLY, I HAPPEN TO HAVE AN OPTION RIGHT HERE!" Mettaton tossed the chainsaw onto the table, much to our relief, then... what's the right term, 'wheeled' away? He doesn't exactly have legs... anyways, he moved away, beckoning us to follow. "MTT-BRAND ALWAYS-CONVENIENT HUMAN-SOUL-FLAVOR-SUBSTITUTE!"

"Does Mettaton actually know what a human soul tastes like?" Frisk whispered to me, maybe a bit fearfully. I shrugged, and shook my head.

"I highly doubt that."

"A CAN, OF WHICH, IS JUST OVER ON THIS COUNTER!" He pointed to a counter, with a red can on it. "WELL, DARLING? WHY DON'T YOU GO GET IT?" I could tell, he was addressing Frisk. Seeming to mentally prepare herself for a moment, she strode forward, reaching to pick up the can... until the counter is was on shot up into the sky, and kept going. "BY THE WAY, OUR SHOW RUNS ON A STRICT SCHEDULE! IF YOU CAN'T GET THE CAN IN THE NEXT ONE MINUTE... WE'LL GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN!"

What? How is that fair? No way can she climb up there that fast! No one can! Not even I, the great Papyrus!

Thankfully, Alphys planned ahead. She called, and told Frisk she added a feature to her phone, allowing it to turn into a jetpack it dire situations. How did she do that? Frisk was grinning, clearly excited. Whether that was because she was alive, could fly a jetpack, or both, I wasn't too sure, but I was guessing both. Frisk flew up into the air, with Mettaton following. He threw several things at her, which most of which she dodged impressively well, only getting hit a couple of times.

"MY MY, IT SEEMS YOU'VE BESTED ME. BUT ONLY BECAUSE YOU HAD THE HELP OF YOUR FRIENDS! OH, I LOATHE TO THINK OF WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED TO YOU WITHOUT THEIR ASSISTANCE!" As he spoke, both Frisk and Mettaton lowered themselves back to the ground, Frisk giving him an unamused look as he spoke, but, as she landed giving us a thankful one. "WELL, TOODLES!" With that, Mettaton was gone, and we were free to continue.

Alphys called us, exclaiming, "Wow, we did it! Great job, team!" She laughed. "Let's keep moving forward!" The phone clicked off, and Frisk lead the way out, panting.

"A drink would be great at this point. Dying of heat, and of course this is the place where a killer robot is chasing me everywhere."

"Want to race to the next puzzle?" I offered.

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" Frisk yelled. After a moment of us just staring back and forth, Frisk sighed. "Alright, alright. But I'll win!" She declared, running off again. I quickly followed, hearing the tired groans of our friends who had to put up with us running all the way through Hotland. Sorry, guys!

Not long into our run, Alphys called again.

"See that building in the distance?" She asked. Frisk looked curiously towards it, as did I, and everyone once they caught up. "That's the CORE. The source of all the power in the underground. It converts geothermal energy into magical electricity, by... uh, oops, ignore my ranting."

"I'll listen!" Sans offered, laughing.

Alphys laughed back. "Of course _you'd_ listen to my science rants." I couldn't see her, but she was probably rolling her eyes. "Anyways, that's where we're going to go. In the CORE is an elevator, directly to Asgore's castle. And from there... is your home, Frisk." Frisk looked down as she said this. Was that... hesitance? The call ended, and Frisk continued running, so I did as well. Despite that, Frisk's pace had slowed down noticeably.

Then, it slowed completely, and Frisk's eyes widened. I followed her gaze... to find the same hooded figure that I'd seen on the cameras. He waved his tail rhythmically.

"Alphys may have worked faster, but the _new_ Royal Scientist, Doctor W.D Gaster?" He spoke. I chill went down my spine as I processed his words. "Long ago, he vanished without a trace. But recently, he's shown his face. They say he shattered across all of time, but everything is working out just fine. Haha, how can I say so without fear? Take a look around, he's right here." Despite his words, when I looked around, no one else was there. The others had stayed behind to look at the CORE, it was just me and Frisk. I looked down, trying to process his words. I shook my head, turning back to him to say something, but he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to Skies-Never-Fall for the "I can make _grater_ puns." idea!


	37. Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Called this chapter 'Gift', because this was originally written in December around Christmas, which is mentioned in this chapter a little. Not much tho, so I don't think it counts as a Christmas chapter :'D
> 
> Back to Frisk's POV

"Alphys may have worked faster, but the _new_ Royal Scientist, Doctor W.D Gaster?" The hooded figure's voice was hardly more than a whisper, forcing me and Papyrus to listen closely to his words. "Long ago, he vanished without a trace. But recently, he's shown his face. They say he shattered across all of time, but everything is working out just fine. Haha, how can I say so without fear? Take a look around, he's right here." 

Yet, when me and Papyrus turned to look, no one was there. And, upon turning back, the hooded figure was gone as well. Despite the heat of the lava below me, and the heated ground I stood on, I shivered. I tried to take a moment to consider his words, but the voices seemed eager to speak, so I listed.

After taking in their words for a moment, while some of them contradicted each other, I felt like I had a solid plan after a moment of silence. Ask Papyrus if he knows anything about this, then call Alphys, then head back to the group and try not to split up. Maybe ask Sans and Papyrus both about this "W.D Gaster" as the voices told me, but I couldn't think of a reason to tell Sans at the moment, unless Papyrus tells me that they both know him or something. Should they? What does W.D Gaster even look like? I felt like I should know, but I just... couldn't remember.

Wait, didn't the hooded figure say the new scientist was Gaster? Then what about Alphys?

I shook my head, finally getting a response from Papyrus.

"We should... go back to the group." He suggested, a bit eagerly. My eyes narrowed in suspicion, though I reasoned that he was simply unnerved, as was I. Yet, going back to the plan, I decided to ask him anyways.

Looking up at him, a bit unsure how to ask, I went for a bit of a calmer approach after a bit of debating, as Papyrus seemed even more freaked out than I was already, and scaring him further wouldn't help me any. "Before we go, do... you have any clue, at all, what he was talking about? Or who he might be?" I paused, then continued, "Who W.D Gaster might be?"

Papyrus quickly shook his head. For a moment, I thought this was his answer. I was about to just give up, when he spoke up. "Well... I... uh... I can't remember exactly who W.D Gaster is... but... uh..."

Shooting him a questioning look, I hoped it'd get across my point. My point being, well, to get to the point. With any luck, he'd realize I wasn't messing around.

"Maybe we should ask Sans about this later." He concluded. "He might know more than I do. I just have a feeling."

Brief silence passed between us, with me both staring questioningly, wondering if he was going to reveal more later or if he even knew anything about W.D at all, while at the same time wondering if the voices were from the future, able to predict that Sans had a role to play here. Or maybe they are from the past. The voices remember, but not them. It made me actually fear the voices just a little bit. They knew something more. I sighed loudly at this, pulling out my phone.

"Should we tell Alphys?" I asked. "I mean, the... we need to give him a name, shouldn't we? We can't just call him "the hooded guy" or whatever."

Papyrus looked back to where the hooded cat was standing, then looked back at me. "Uh... Creepy Cat?" He suggested with a shrug, causing a chuckle from me. Creepy Cat.

With a loud sigh, I returned the shrug and shook my head. "Alright, sure. Creepy Cat it is. As I was saying... "Creepy Cat" mentioned Alphys, so it seems like a safe bet to call her."

As I began to type in the numbers, I heard footsteps, likely the other monsters catching up. Lifting my gaze for just a second, I saw all of them with nothing out of the ordinary, so I dropped my gaze back down to the phone. Once I had her number, I tried to call, but it wouldn't dial. No sound was made at all.

"Why aren't you calling?" Papyrus asked.

"Phone wouldn't dial. Can we get out of here?" I whispered back, eyeing the rest of the group as they approached.

"We'll try again on the next floor." Papyrus decided, walking towards the group to greet them.

Oh yeah. The elevator.

I turned my head towards it, only to frown. The elevator was right beside where Creepy Cat... augh, we need to find a better name for that guy. Anyways, it was beside where the stranger was. That raised a couple alarms. What raised even more alarms was that it was an elevator in a super hot place. The reason I hated it was because, well... I don't like elevators. At all. I feel like I'd get stuck. I hate elevators in the heat even more, because if the elevator does get stuck or fail for whatever reason, we're sitting there slowly dying of heat. My gang said it was a childish fear, similar to how I hate bridges and other things high-up, but that didn't change anything. I still hated it.

Aaron simply floated past me, somehow sweating despite being made of glass. His tail waved as he moved, wasting little time in getting to the elevator. He entered, followed by Toriel. Sans noticed me and Papyrus hesitate.

He looked back at us, asking, "Hey, you two ok?"

Not letting Papyrus answer first, I requested, "Actually, can we ask you something first?" I turned to the others, casually waving them to go ahead. Let's just put off that elevator for a little bit, shall we?

"Yeah, sure. What's up?" He asked, glancing up at Papyrus for a moment.

"We're pretty sure you can help us. We're just wondering something, but it wouldn't make sense unless we told you the whole story." Papyrus explained.

"Oh? Alright, what happened?"

This time, I spoke up. "Well, while you guys were catching up, we found some... guy. He never introduced himself, but he was talking about someone named W.D Gaster." I began. I proceeded to tell him everything the grayscale monster told us. "After that, we looked behind us, but there was no one there. When we looked back, it was gone." I finished. "Have any clue what literally anything he said means? 'Cause I have no clue."

Sans shifted a bit, looking rather uncomfortable. "Have you warned Alphys yet? The guy seems pretty intent on the fact that W.D Gaster is the _new_ Royal Scientist, which as far as I know, isn't true." He laughed a little at the end, maybe trying to ease the tension, but I think he made it worse.

"The phone wasn't working." I frowned.

"We'll try calling again once we get to the next floor!" Papyrus explained. I nodded.

"Back on subject, do either of you two know who the guy is? Or who W.D Gaster is?"

"The name seems extremely familiar... doesn't it, Sans?" Papyrus commented, after realizing Sans wasn't responding right away.

Sans nodded, but he seemed unwilling to give anymore information. Sighing, I gave up. "Well, anything else? Or are we just gonna forget some creepy guy talking about some other guy?"

The shorter skeleton shifted a bit, seemingly in thought. After a moment, he said, "Actually... I might have an idea. You guys go on ahead."

"No! We shouldn't split up, what if that guy comes back?!" I exclaimed.

"Well, Sans has his shortcuts. You'll only be a few minutes, right Sans?" Papyrus defended.

Sans shrugged. "Not sure about a few minutes. I'll meet up with you in a bit either way."

Seeing that they weren't going to change their minds, I bit back an angry sigh. Just go ahead, don't take my advice! Get killed by some space-time scientist guy who was forgotten by the world, why would I care? Turning around, I began walking to the elevator. "Come on." I grumbled.

I guess Sans was already gone, as Papyrus talked like he wasn't anywhere nearby. "Do not worry, human! Sans knows what he's doing. This'll be taken care of!" Papyrus offered a goofy grin. "Hey! Wait! We were racing through Hotland until we stopped! Whoever catches up with Toriel and Aaron first wins?"

Allowing a smile to sneak onto my expression, I nodded briefly, then darted towards the elevator without warning. I selected the next floor, and tried desperately to make the elevator close before Papyrus could catch up. Despite that, the skeleton was able to slide in just in time. I crossed my arms, sticking my tongue out at him before the door opened. Thankfully, the thought of the race put my mind at ease, and the elevator no longer concerned me that much. I ran out, pushing Papyrus against the back of the elevator as I went, but in response almost tripping over his boots as I exited. We ran past a small fire element monster, to some sort of hotdog stand. I froze in my tracks, causing Papyrus to basically trip over me, as I was much smaller.

"What? Why did you stop?" Papyrus asked.

I grinned. "Food. That's why." Leaping over to the other side of the hotdog stand, I looked around. Yup. A lot of hotdogs. And... hotcats?

"That's my brother's hotdog stand! Hey, don't take it!" Papyrus exclaimed.

"Don't tell your bro." I murmured simply. "Ain't here, so he can't charge me. This is what happens when he slacks off. He gets stolen from." Apparently this meant something to Papyrus, as he practically went on a worried rant about him telling his brother all along that he should take more care in his work, and now he's getting stolen from. I rolled my eyes at first at the over-dramatic skeleton, but it was entertaining at least. I placed a few hotdogs and hotcats into a little box-thing, also stolen from Sans, and then placed it into my pocket. Looking back at Papyrus, he was still on his little rant, so I stole a bit of money from Sans. Not all of it, just some. He won't even notice. Grabbing another hotdog, I tossed it towards the ranting skeleton. "C'mon, eat it!" I insisted.

Yet, Papyrus just shook his head and put it back. "Let's keep going."

Upon deciding that arguing wasn't worth it, I darted forwards again, continuing on my path. Papyrus easily caught up to me, and to make it worse, I feel like he was purposefully going a bit slower than normal so I could keep up. I was tired, the heat didn't help at all.

Not only that, some sort of monster, seemingly made of fire, rope and magic bounced toward us, but we just ran past.

We continued running, until I slowed again. I could see the outline of glass, leading to a seemingly hidden trail. I tilted my head and followed, much to Papyrus' confusion. He, too, followed the path, until we found a sign saying,

_Art Club: Meet here!  
Next meeting:  
October 10th, 8PM_

I frowned. That must've been posted some time ago. Didn't I fall into the underground in late November? How long has it been since then? It felt like a year, but I realized it was probably only early December.

"Papyrus, what's the date today?" I asked.

After a bit of thinking, Papyrus answered, "I wasn't paying attention. It's early December, I know that."

Early December. Remembering what Alphys said about us nearing the CORE, nearing... home... I made a dark realization that I might not be here during Christmas. My gang hardly celebrated it. I mean, we celebrated, but not the way most people do.

Did monsters even have Christmas? I decided it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"December? Hm... do monsters celebrate Christmas? Or is that a surface thing?"

"Christmas?" Papyrus replied. "Never heard of it, what is it?"

I blinked, a bit surprised. "Every December, near the end of the month, we humans," I paused and added, "Well, most humans where I live celebrate Christmas. I don't celebrate it like most people do, but I understand the basics of it. Lots of decorations, a decorated tree, presents are shared between friends and family, stuff like that."

"Oh! We have something similar, back in Snowdin! You see, it was actually made more recently. A bunch of teens harassed Gyfttrot, wrapping him in lots of decorations and such, and getting things stuck in his antlers. To cheer him up, a tradition was made where we'd decorate a tree, y'know, instead of someone like Gyfttrot, then we'd put presents under the tree! We don't really have a specific name for it, I don't think. It just happens."

"When does it happen?" I asked.

"Already passed, in November." Papyrus answered. Upon seeing my disappointed expression, he added, "But I'd like to see how you celebrate Christmas!"

I shook my head. "Well, the present part I may have to leave out. Got most of my stuff stolen back in Temmie Village, so... don't have much to give." I twirled the frying pan still in my hands, adding, "And I use this frying pan as a weapon, so I can't give up this. First decent weapon I've seen down here in a while."

Papyrus looked around. "I don't see any trees to decorate in this place. Nor do we have decorations."

I sighed. "Nevermind. Let's keep going." I kept running, no longer in the mood to keep discussing it. Running the wrong way, Papyrus commented on this, but I called back, "I'm just going to see what's over here! Stay there!" Looking down on the ground, I found an apron. I smiled. An apron. Papyrus cooks, doesn't he? Maybe I could try celebrating Christmas after all! I frowned slightly a bit, quietly scolding myself for thinking so childishly. But either way, I still had something to give. I didn't have a use for a stupid apron.

Folding the apron rather neatly, I tried to clean it best I could. It was a bit torn up, but I didn't have anything to fit it with, so I simply just tried to make it look as good as I could get it. "Papyrus!" I called.

"Found something, human?" He asked, taking a step towards me curiously.

I nodded. "I found a gift! Well, sort of... I don't have a use for this apron and nobody else is claiming it, so... it's yours now!" I gave it to him, and he gladly accepted. Despite the orange-y brown apron with a faded heart shape sown onto the front being torn up and old, he looked like he absolutely loved it.

"Thank you so much, Frisk!" Papyrus exclaimed, examining it. "It's definitely worse for wear, but I can easily fix it up. It'll be all fixed up and looking new soon enough!" Papyrus tucked it into his armor. "I'll put it on later, I don't want it to get wrecked." He told me, and I smiled back. Well, that's one part of Christmas. I didn't mind it. Well, we had to keep going anyways.

As we walked, our phones both got a notification from Alphys. It was an Undernet notification, with the caption 'Dinner with the girlfriend! ; )' the actual picture itself was of a catgirl figurine, next to a bowl of instant noodles. I ignored it, putting my phone back into my pocket until I realized Papyrus wasn't following me. Getting another notification, I looked back down at my phone, to see Papyrus, also known as CoolSkeleton95 on Undernet, reply with 'ARE WE POSTING HOT "PICS"?? HERE IS ME AND MY COOL FRIEND' I was confused as I pulled up the picture attached, only to burst out in laughter to see Papyrus posting a selfie of himself, now wearing sunglasses and flexing. Even though he's a skeleton without muscle. And I have no idea where those sunglasses came from.

'LOL, CoolSkeleton95! ... That's a joke, right?' Alphys typed back, only for me to see Papyrus response, saying,

'THE ONLY JOKE HERE, IS HOW STRONG MY MUSCLES ARE!'

I looked back, and Papyrus was casually walking towards me. I gave him a funny look, and he responded,

"What?"

I shook my head, still laughing a little bit. I replied to their comments on Undernet, saying,

'@CoolSkeleton95- You're a skeleton. You don't have muscle. At least not visible muscle?'

Papyrus simply typed back, 'How can a skeleton with no muscle carry you?'

I turned my head to glare at Papyrus, and I didn't need to even look at the phone to know that people were responding about how I totally lost that little fight. Papyrus merely shrugged and smiled, and continued on. Deciding to let it go, we soon came across a puzzle, in which Papyrus made a groaning noise.

"I hate this puzzle." He complained.

"Suck it up, princess!" I shot back, as I got a call from Alphys. Oh. Right. We completely forgot to call her.

I answered the call a bit hesitantly. "H... hi! It's Dr. Alphys!"

"Yeah, yeah. Alphys, I forgot to call you about something earlier. Do you have a camera by the elevator? The one we went on earlier?"

"O-oh? Uh, yeah, I do."

"Can you rewind it to a few minutes before we got onto the elevator?"

"Y-yeah, of course! I'm doing that now! B-But why?"

I frowned. "You'll know when you see it."

There was a bit of a pause, then Alphys said, "The video cut itself out! I'm sorry, I don't know how to get it back! What happened?"

I quickly warned her about what the stranger said. Alphys seemed confused. "W.D Gaster? ... I-I swear, that... that name is familiar... b-but I don't know him, a-and he's certainly no s-scientist. I'm the Royal Scientist, i-if you couldn't tell!" She seemed a bit angry to hear something like his. "I-I'll look into it. Th-Thank you. For the w-warning, I mean."

"No problem. Oh yeah, why did you call in the first place?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, this puzzle! Uh, it's really just a timing puzzle. Just press the switches." Alphys explained. "Need me to help you with the timing?"

"Pfff, no! Just focus on, y'know, what I told you. See ya." After Alphys had said goodbye, I hung up and did the puzzle with no complications. Papyrus just sort of... walked across once I was done, glaring at the puzzle.

We were able to quickly go through, to the next puzzle. It didn't take us long, since there were two of us. Y'see, there were these platforms. If you walked on an arrow, it'd send you that way to the next platform. However, you'd land on a button, which'll change the direction of other arrows on different platforms. It was a bit tricky, but again, rather easy since there were two of us. We basically cheated the system, but it worked.

The two of us continued to race once we were finished, until we heard voices stopping us.

"Hey! You two! Stop!"

We quickly looked behind us, to see two Royal Guard members. Papyrus froze, not knowing what to do. I didn't either. Papyrus is- no, was in the Royal Guard, or at least one in training. Now, to see two Royal Guard members? Here? I didn't feel bad for myself, I felt bad for Papyrus. No matter what we chose, this would hurt him. I couldn't make the choice, and Papyrus wasn't making it either.

In my mind, I called out to the voices once again.


	38. Hotland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 10 Chapters left until I catch up with the DA version. Then 2 more chapters to write :'D
> 
> Couldn't think of a title to save my own life so

_Approach them..._

_Stay back..._

_Do not fight..._

_Run..._

_Hide somewhere...._

I let out a quiet, thankful sigh as the voices responded to my plea, yet I could tell that the voices seemed... hesitant, unsure, with some slightly contradicting the others. Papyrus heard them too, I could tell. He stepped forward, keeping me behind him. He stood straight, and from a distance, you wouldn't be able to tell that he wanted to run. I continued to stay behind him, but I too stood straight, trying to look tougher. Maybe they'd just go away? ... No, wishful thinking.

Their bodies were almost completely hidden by heavy armor, and the masks they wore. One had rabbit ears, the other having some sort of dragon-like ones. They didn't hesitate, they kept walking forward and they looked hostile.

Me and Papyrus glanced at each other, I guess wondering when we should run.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice loud and assertive, but not yelling.

The voices that responded seemed to come from the rabbit, though I couldn't see his mouth move from under the mask. "We've received a tip about a human with a striped shirt, and..." He tilted his head slightly to look at Papyrus. "I'm sure you know. Either way, we were told they were running around Hotland right now, so we're gathering citizens to temporarily evacuate the area to someplace like, super safe. You two are like, who we're looking for. So. We sorta have to kill you... and... stuff..."

The two drew their swords.

Papyrus bolted, as did I. We didn't even bother trying to fight for a second, we were just out of there. Yet, they followed us, though they were slow because of their heavy armor. Magic attacks were shot at us from behind, some sort of star-looking attack threatening to cut us, both of us being hit once. Agitated, I almost turned back to try and defend myself, but I remembered the voices telling me not to attack, so I didn't. Another attack was shot, this time I couldn't tell what it was supposed to look like. It struck Papyrus, and he gritted his teeth but kept running. Sparing a moment to look at him, it seemed odd at first that he wasn't angry, or afraid. He wasn't wincing in pain or anything. He merely wore a saddened expression.

We had to get away from these guys.

Yet, they showed no mercy, striking both of us twice as I was distracted. I bit my lip to avoid wailing in pain. The attacks cut through us like knives, it hurt. Papyrus still seemed just fine, clearly not as physically hurt by the attacks as I was.

I grabbed a hot dog out of my bag and ate it quickly, the magic calming down the pain.

This time, we were able to dodge their attacks, though I tripped on a rock, and I silently cursed under my breath, slowing down slightly before getting over it and catching up again. We were faster than them, but their magic made that useless.

We'd have to fight... but the voices told us not too. What should we do?

They began to shout things at us, like, "Give us your soul, human!" in a taunting manner, or "Perish, traitor!" In a... conflicted tone, if that makes sense.

Papyrus began to slow down. What was he doing?!

"Stop!" He shouted, blocking the upcoming attacks with bones. I thought he was fighting back, though was confused to see him only blocking, not fighting. What did he think he was doing? Was he going to try and talk his way out? Was he crazy?! Yet, if it would stop the attacks, then... looking down at my own scars, I realized that I wouldn't try to stop Papyrus. I simply didn't have any decent items aside from hot dogs, I couldn't risk it.

I turned my gaze back to the Royal Guards. One of them had taken off some of his armor, maybe to run faster or two avoid the heat. The other seemed to be distracted by this, but quickly managed to shift his attention back to us.

They attacked us again, their attacks becoming much more sporadic and distracted. Some made it past the barrier of bones, though none of them hit us this time.

"Dude!" I heard one whisper somewhat loudly as they attacked. "Put your armor back on! Y-You're gonna get hit!"

"... They're not fighting back..." I heard the other quietly respond.

"Just put your armor back on!" Came the response, making the other utterly confused.

"Come on, Papyrus." I tapped his glove to get his attention. "They're distracted, let's move."

The tall skeleton slowly shook his head. "We need to convince them to not attack us, otherwise they'll just keep chasing us with even more intensity."

I shook my head. "Good luck." I simply grumbled, subtly moving behind Papyrus as non-obviously as I could as I watched.

"01, 02, please listen to us!" Papyrus exclaimed. I'm not sure if he just didn't know their names, or if it was considered "proper" to call them by their Royal Guard names or something.

"Like, why?" Asked the rabbit, looking away from the more dragon-like monster, focusing full attention on Papyrus, or at least trying to.

The dragon monster stepped forward. He was silent, yet curious.

Papyrus hesitated, before responding, "We don't want to fight! We haven't harmed anyone in Hotland, and we won't! We swear, we just want to get through!"

The dragon shook his head. "... The human has harmed many others." He began, "The Ruins, Snowdin, and Waterfall were all affected by her crimes... and you... are protecting her." He paused, before muttering, "... You two have given us little choice..."

My hands curled into fists as my nervousness grew. Maybe it was a stupid move on my part, as it targeted me even more, but I was also confident Papyrus could hold them off if their attacks focused on me. I tried to keep my voice calm, but it clearly shook. "Then why are you calling Papyrus a traitor? If he wasn't around, well, Hotland would have something to worry about. As he said, he's only leading me to the castle, that's all. So... go away, 'cause your argument is useless!" I inwardly cringed at how that sounded. My nervousness made the ending sounded like a little kid telling some 'meanies' to 'go away'. Not only that, they would now be focusing on me. Why did I do that?! The voices told us to run, and I should've listened!

But... I was surprised. They stopped, at least for the moment. The rabbit glanced at the dragon, then back at us. "Undyne, like, told us to capture you both."

Papyrus winced beside me. Ouch. Undyne and Papyrus used to be close, I know that. That must be painful.

"... So we won't attack if you just come with us." 02 finished.

Papyrus glanced at me, backing up a bit. I knew we couldn't just run for it though, they'd just keep chasing us.

Wait, I had an idea.

It was a crazy one, but it might just work.

My hands folded behind my back, I shuffled my feet. "Really? You have to capture us? That's a shame... you two look cool when you fight, I sorta wanted us work together so I can get out of this place. And you?" I pointed to the dragon-like monster who'd taken off some of his armor. "You look great, especially without your armor. Come on, we aren't hurting anyone, we just want to leave! Please?" I winked, but my plan of flirting my way out backfired strongly, because the rabbit seemed pissed, and the dragon was completely unphased. Huh. Maybe that's why I never had a boyfriend on the surface? I just suck at flirting? Or maybe it's because I'm part of a murderous gang constantly stealing things and hiding from police. Eh. Either way, not sure why I thought flirting was a good idea at any point.

The rabbit seemed to be going on an angry rant at me. I didn't pay attention to what he was saying, but the dragon was completely distracted by his yelling. The dragon began talking to the rabbit quietly, and, noting the two were distracting, I immediately bolted without hesitation, Papyrus quickly following me. The two, for whatever reason, didn't follow us. I guess they just gave up? I have no clue, but I was glad it was over.

Stumbling upon another dark room, I internally groaned. Getting a call from Alphys, I picked it up.

"OK, I'm back! A-Another dark room, huh? Don't worry! M-My hacking skills have got this covered!"

I glanced over at Papyrus as the room lit up again. Papyrus barely seemed to be listening, still glancing behind him as if the Royal Guard would pop out any minute. His hands were folded, and he looked nervous.

Turning away, as I wasn't sure what to say, I realized a camera was facing us. Quickly, I tapped Papyrus' arm and pointed to it, and he seemed confused.

"Are you serious?" Alphys grumbled, upon seeing the room from her computer.

We heard the robot's loud voice over some sort of speaker.

"OOOH YESSS! GOOD EVENING, BEAUTIES AND GENTLEBEAUTIES! THIS IS METTATON, REPORTING LIVE FROM MTT NEWS!"

Augh, seriously...? Now's not the time, Mettaton. We're in the middle of something here.

"AN INTERESTING SITUATION HAS ARISEN IN EASTERN HOTLAND! FORTUNATELY, OUR CORRESPONDENTS ARE OUT THERE, REPORTING LIVE!"

I looked around, confused. Where? Who?

"BRAVE CORRESPONDENTS! PLEASE FIND SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY TO REPORT! OUR NINE WONDERFUL VIEWERS ARE WAITING FOR YOU!" He exclaimed over the speaker.

"... is... is he talking about us?" I asked, confused. Papyrus shrugged.

"I think so? Let's find something and see if he says anything."

We walked around the room, finding several items. A basketball, a dog... wait... wasn't that the one I saw in the strange place that Flowey showed me? There was also a present, a video game, a movie script, and a glass of water. Curious about the dog, and noting Papyrus' annoyance towards it, I chose the dog.

"WHAT A SENSATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR A STORY! I CAN SEE THE HEADLINE NOW: A DOG EXISTS SOMEWHERE!"

I couldn't help but snicker at the stupid headline, and I burst out laughing as Papyrus commented, "Yes, it exists in my nightmares too." Wow, he really didn't like this dog. Somehow that made me even more excited about it.

"FRANKLY, I'M BLOWN AWAY." Mettaton continued, and I also continued to laugh, my nervousness about the Royal Guard slowly fading away.

I looked towards the camera, as did Papyrus. The dog sat beside me, somehow shooting something that resembled a grin at Papyrus. Papyrus simply glared, seeming unimpressed. "I'm watching you." He whispered, and the dog's oddly cartoon-ish grin only widened, and it's tail wagged back and forth. Somehow, this looked cute?

"ATTENTION, VIEWERS! OUR CORRESPONDENTS HAVE FOUND... A DOG!"

A sound-clip of a group of people going 'awww' over something cute sounded.

"THAT'S RIGHT, FOLKS! IT'S THE FEEL-GOOD STORY OF THE YEAR! LOOK AT IT'S LITTLE EARS, TINY PAWS, FLUFFY TAIL..."

I looked at the dog, only to be alarmed at something.

The dog's tail lit itself on fire.

What-

"WAIT A SECOND! THAT'S NOT A TAIL! THAT'S A FUSE! THAT'S RIGHT, THAT DOG IS A BOMB!"

I glanced over to Papyrus for a second, and he now looked very worried. I couldn't tell if we was worried for us, the dog, or both, honestly.

"BUT DON'T PANIC! YOU HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THE REST OF THE ROOM!"

We looked around us, to see that... everything was a bomb. Mettaton flew towards us, apparently hiding somewhere the whole time. He wore a red suit. "OH MY! IT SEEMS EVERYTHING IN THIS AREA IS ACTUALLY A BOMB! THAT PRESENT'S A BOMB! THAT BASKETBALL IS A BOMB! BRAVE CORRESPONDENTS, IF YOU DON'T DEFUSE ALL OF THE BOMBS.. THIS BIG BOMB" Mettaton pointed to a large, pink bomb, "WILL EXPLODE IN TWO MINUTES! THEN YOU WON'T BE REPORTING "LIVE" ANY LONGER!"

Y'know, at this point, I should probably be used to Mettaton trying to kill me. He nearly killed me with a chainsaw not long ago. I guess Papyrus realized this too, as he merely groaned at the pun, and whispered, "I'll defuse half the room, you defuse the other half." I nodded in response.

"HOW TERRIBLE! HOW DISTURBING! OUR EIGHT VIEWERS ARE GOING TO LOVE WATCHING THIS!"

Wait, wasn't it nine before?

"GOOD LUCK, DARLINGS!"

The timer ticking down already, I darted one way, Papyrus darting the other. The phone rang, and I answered as I ran. "Yeah? Sorta busy here!"

"D-Don't worry! I installed a bomb-defusing program on your phone! And uh, don't worry about Papyrus, he'll figure it out." Oh yeah, that's comforting. Thanks Alphys. Wait, how did she know- "N-Now, go get 'em!" Hanging up the phone, I quickly ran around, eventually defusing a... glass of water? (Papyrus was... attempting to defuse the dog-bomb so I left him to it).

Two minutes passed, and we quickly defused all of them (me doing most, because of the convenience of the phone).

"WELL DONE, DARLINGS!" We jumped at Mettaton's loud voice booming over us. "YOU'VE DEACTIVATED ALL OF THE BOMBS! IF YOU TWO DIDN'T DEACTIVATE THEM, THE BIG BOMB WOULD'VE EXPLODED IN TWO MINUTES! NOW IT WON'T EXPLODE IN TWO MINUTES!" Yay! "INSTEAD IT'LL EXPLODE IN TWO SECONDS!" SHIT. "GOODBYE, DARLINGS!"

Papyrus jumped back, looking around, confused and scared. He hadn't expected that little... plot twist, neither had I.

1 second passed.

Me and Papyrus sent each other confused looks, and we backed away from the bomb as much as we could.

2 seconds passed.

One of those lazers blocked our way. It was either get zapped, or exploded. Panicking, we both hid behind some rocks.

3 seconds passed.

... This is a long 2 seconds.

4 seconds passed.

Me and Papyrus looked at each other, even more confused, but relieved. The bomb wasn't going off, was it?

5 seconds passed.

Mettaton cleared his throat. "... Seems the bomb isn't going off."

My phone rang, and I answered, Papyrus moving closer to hear the conversation. "That's b-because! While you were monologuing, I... I f.... fix... um... I ch-change..."

"OH NO! YOU DEACTIVATED THE BOMB WITH YOUR HACKING SKILLS!"

Leaning over to Papyrus, I whispered, "This was set up, wasn't it?"

Papyrus shrugged. "I assume so. Don't think he'd explode one of his fans." Papyrus said, pointing to himself. I shook my head. Weirdo.

"Why did you hide, then?" I whispered, grinning.

"Well I didn't know for sure!"

"Yeah! That's what I did!" Alphys exclaimed, a bit nervously.

"CURSES! SEEMS I'VE BEEN FOILED AGAIN!" Mettaton's robotic voice 'cried' out, the screen flashing yellow and red in his anger. "CURSE YOU, HUMAN! CURSE YOU DR. ALPHYS FOR HELPING! ... BUT I DON'T CURSE MY SEVEN WONDERFUL VIEWERS FOR TUNING IN! AND... PAPYRUS????" He turned to glance at him, then shrugged as if not sure what to say. Oh wait, seven viewers? Ha! He lost two, loser! That's what you get for making us defuse all those bombs!

"UNTIL NEXT TIME, DARLINGS!" Mettaton bowed, then flew away.

"W-Wow, we really showed him, huh?" Alphys laughed. I stood up, seeing figures in the distance. Toriel and Aaron! They must've heard the commotion and came back. Alphys didn't seem to notice. "... H-hey, I know I was kind of weird at first-"

"Nonsense!" Papyrus interrupted. "You're not weird, you're our friend!"

I laughed, my comment soon contradicting what Papyrus said (for the most part) "Pfff, everyone who helps me is weird. So ya, you are weird. Welcome to the club."

Alphys just laughed. "Well, I think I'm getting more... uh, more... m-more confident about guiding you! S-so don't worry about that robot! I-I'll protect you from him!"

By now, Toriel and Aaron were already nearby.

"What a show!" Aaron exclaimed, winking as he entered. No big surprise there. On the other hand, Toriel looked much more worried, nearly tackling us both with hugs.

"Oh my! Are you two ok? You're not hurt?"

Papyrus shook his head. "No, we're ok! I, the great Papyrus," he paused, quietly adding "... and Frisk... and Alphys..." He raised his voice again to continue, "easily got passed Mettaton! He was no match for us!"

"Thanks Papyrus." Alphys' laughter sounded from the phone.

The boss monster emitted a relieved sigh. "Alright. Where is your brother, Papyrus?"

Papyrus tilted his head. "He's not back yet?"

"I thought he said he'd only be a little while. Feels like it's been longer than that." I commented.

"How long classifies as a 'little while'?" Papyrus countered.

"Y'know, as much as I love Hotland," Aaron began, flexing for no apparent reason in between his speech, "I could offer to check Waterfall to see if he's walking back!"

I quietly crossed my fingers, hoping that Aaron would leave. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he's not against me, but he's still annoying.

Of course, Sans chooses the worst time to show up. "Hey guys."

"Oh! Sans, there you are!" Toriel exclaimed.

"You took forever!" Papyrus complained, though clearly relieved he was back. We said goodbye to Alphys for the time being, hanging up the phone since, really, me, Sans and Papyrus just wanted to talk. The group continued to walk, us three staying at the back.

"So, find anything?" I whispered.

The small skeleton slowly shook his head. "Not anything notable, no. Didn't find anything new."

"Find anything old?" I pried. "Like, you remember anything?"

Sans shrugged. "I tried, but I couldn't find anything that'd solve what you two saw."

"You sure took a while for nothing." Papyrus commented, maybe a bit sarcastically. Sans merely replied,

"I was just looking carefully."

With that, we had nothing more to say to each other, and we continued on, until the CORE came into view again. It was much closer now, the heat from the lava surrounding it making my eyes water. So much closer. So much so that it scared me.

"The CORE... you're getting pretty close, huh?" Papyrus commented.

I said nothing, and continued to walk.

"Are you worried about meeting Asgore?" Aaron inquired. "The king is a nice guy."

I glanced back at Toriel, wondering how she'd respond to that. She quietly looked away, murmuring, "Don't be afraid."

"Just forget about it and smile, ok kid?"

But I couldn't.

Raising my head towards the elevator we approached, a grey monster with a wide smile and a shape I can't really describe stared back at me.

"Uh..." I turned around, but my allies were gone. What? No, what was going on? Where did they go?!

"I understand why Asgore waited so long to hire a new Royal Scientist." His voice was surprisingly smooth as it spoke, his words sounding like a song despite not rhyming at all, nor saying it in a song-like way. I shivered, a chill going down my spine as I feared to turn around to face him. "The previous one... Dr. Gaster. His brilliance was, and always will be irreplaceable. Yet... his time here was cut short. One day... his experiments went wrong." He halted his speech. I finally turned to face him. "... Well, I needn't gossip. After all, it's rude to talk about someone who's listening."

A hand placed on my shoulder.

"Frisk?"


	39. Closer to the Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very excite. 9 chapters to go until this is fully caught up. Then I'm gonna go through my DA a bit (fix some things up basically), which won't take longer than a day tbh, then I'll be back to writing!
> 
> I just wish I could change my username on there -n- I want my username to match this one (FirecrackerTNT) ^^" Oh well.
> 
> Aaaaaa thank you to the random guests who left a kudos on this work! :O <3

"...Well, I needn't gossip. It's rude to talk about someone who's listening."

His voice was almost hypnotizing now, knocking me into a trance of a false sense of comfort, hardly acknowledging his words until a hand placed itself onto my shoulder, a soft voice requesting my name,

"Frisk?"

Fear broke through the odd tranquility I felt, the world falling back into reality. As my mind spiraled in the sudden panic I was thrown into, a couple voices came through to calm the storm.

_Cautiously turn around..._

_Just turn around... see who's talking..._

The voices themselves didn't seem all that worried, and that calmed me just enough to get it together, and turn around.

It was... Papyrus?

"Frisk?" He asked again, clearly very confused.

"Are you alright?" Came an older woman's voice. Clearly Toriel's.

Even more confused than they were, I turned around again, but the man who'd spoken to me was gone. No one else had mentioned him at all. Had I been just... hallucinating? Was that real? Was I daydreaming? No, the words sounded too clearly, he couldn't be non-existent. But... how then did they not seem to care? Did they not see him at all?

"Woah, ok, Frisk, sit down." Sans laughed a bit nervously. "You look pale as a ghost."

I didn't feel afraid, I didn't feel sick. I didn't feel a reason to look pale. But, in fear that I might get sick if I kept standing, I sat down onto the heated, rocky terrain and looked up at them. "Did you guys see or hear anything? Out of the ordinary, I mean." I asked awkwardly, not knowing how to put it, especially with Toriel and Aaron around.

Aaron shrugged. "Just you."

Toriel sent him a look that, despite the encounter that had just occurred, made me laugh softly. Aaron quickly ducked away from her gaze.

"What happened? Did you see something, Frisk?" Papyrus asked.

I hesitated. Aaron and Toriel were still around. I didn't want them to know, so I awkwardly shook my head. "N-No... just feeling a little sick." I lied. Maybe it was my imagination after all?

Remembering the words of that strange monster, how it was 'rude to talk about someone who's listening', I suddenly felt a very strong urge to get out of here.

(Papyrus' POV)

I only turned my gaze away from the human for a second to glance at Toriel, before I heard her get up. I looked back, and she was already racing to the elevators, as if trying to escape something we couldn't see. "Frisk!" I called, getting up and managing to quickly catch up to her, blocking her path. "What are you doing? You're even more pale than before! Sit down!"

Frisk hesitated, shaking a little and constantly looking over her shoulder and around the room, as if something was going to jump out at her. "C'mon, Papyrus, I'm fine! Let's just keep going through Hotland... I-I'm just a little dizzy from the heat, that's all!" Frisk insisted. "The elevator is probably cooler!"

I crossed my arms slightly, not fully believing her. "Because the heat makes you constantly look over your shoulder because it's going to manifest into some sort of flame monster. Sure."

Frisk blinked. "Just being cautious. Monsters are weird!" She gave a laugh, probably trying to distract me from the fact that immediately after saying that, she practically shoved her way into the elevator. I shook my head, realizing that if she were this intent on getting out of here, we should probably follow. Motioning for the others to follow us, I kept the elevator door open for the others, going into the elevator last.

As the elevator doors closed behind me, I glanced back.

... Was that someone watching us go into the elevator, or was it my imagination?

I guess this is why I hate Hotland.

(Frisk's POV)

The coolness of the elevator relaxed me a little bit, though the annoying silence countered it. Lost in my thoughts, I tried to figure out how to explain what I saw, when I realized that the elevator door had opened. I wandered out, looking down at my feet, not paying attention until I bumped into Toriel.

"Hey, m-" I almost told her to move it, when I realized everyone was stopped, looking concerned at something down the path. I turned to follow their gaze, being met by a short, gray monster, with large, dull eyes.

"It makes sense why Asgore took so long to hire a new Royal Scientist." His voice alone was enough to make me feel uncomfortable. The other monsters clearly felt this too, some even taking a more defensive stance. Grabbing my phone, I subtly dialed Alphys' number. I knew she'd need to hear this.

But the phone only let out out a quiet static.

Giving up, I slid the phone back into my pocket, and continued to listen. "After all, the old one... Dr. Gaster. What an act to follow!" The strange monster laughed, throwing his hands into the air as if he were presenting something. "They say he created the CORE." The CORE... it's where we're going. My breath caught in my throat. "However his life... was cut short. One day, he fell into his creation, and..." He seemed to drift away for a moment, his loud voice lowering just a bit. "...Will Alphys end up the same way?"

I blinked, and he was gone.

A deadly silence filled the room. We sent confused glances at each other, none of us sure what to say.

Aaron, clearly annoyed by the silence, broke it with a simple, "Ok, what?"

Thankfully, Toriel took control of the situation. "Alright, let's get the obvious ones out of the way. Anyone know who that strange man was?"

Everyone shook their heads. At least, I thought they did, though Toriel's crimson eyes shifted, landing directly to look at Sans. "Sans? Why are you giving that look?"

Sans let out a quiet sigh. "I don't know exactly what's going on, but... I think I might have an idea. Could you give me a few minutes? I'll be back."

Toriel seemed to contemplate this for a bit, before finally nodding. "If you must go now, then go."

Sans practically dove into the elevator. I pondered why, especially when it was rather clear he could teleport, but decided not to comment. Yet, my mind couldn't help but wonder if he was planning something, purposefully taking his time instead of just teleporting... why else did he continuously insist on leaving the group? My frustration towards Papyrus' brother continued to grow.

"Anyone know who Dr. Gaster is?" Toriel continued.

Me and Papyrus glanced at each other quietly.

On shaky legs, I stepped forward. "I don't know much about him. But... I've seen those guys before. Like, grey monsters who speak about Gaster. I've seen 3 of them, including the one we just saw... or... maybe four, but it was a grey monster, I'm not sure if it's actually related to this. They all said pretty similar things."

"I saw two of them. The one we just saw, and someone in a hoodie." Papyrus admitted. "Me and Frisk both saw the 'someone in a hoodie'."

Toriel nodded. "Good to know, though you should have told us this beforehand." Toriel glared slightly, though continued on. "That monster seemed to be saying that this 'Gaster' was the Royal Scientist before Alphys, but his life was cut short. He mentioned Asgore and Alphys, so we'll ask both."

"I tried to call Alphys while he was speaking, but the phone stopped working. Same thing happened before." I murmured.

"I can go warn Alphys." Aaron offered.

Toriel nodded. "Please do. For her sake... stay with her for now, alright?"

Aaron nodded. "See ya later!" He grinned and winked, before floating away, his tail moving as if swimming through the air.

Toriel glanced back. "Alright then... let's keep going, shall we? I don't see anything else we can do... plus, I must go warn Asgore..."

"Won't we be able to do that when we reach him? Or will he just kill me?" I asked, maybe a little aggressively. Toriel didn't answer.

As we walked, Papyrus suddenly tapped my shoulder. Confused, I glanced up at him, then looked where he was looking.

There was a... a cat, in a hoodie. He looked eerily similar to the one we'd seen, though much more colorful. He wore an ever-present nervous look, ice-y blue eyes gazing around the room, a nervous smile to match. He looked lost. His clothing colors, contrary to the other 'hoodie cat?' we'd seen, were nearly blinding with color, wearing bright green gloves, yellow shoes, and his hoodie was both green and yellow. Despite all these differences, just like the monster we'd seen earlier, his fur was black as the night sky.

Determined to try and figure this out, I practically marched up to him, much to Papyrus and Toriel's fear. "Hey." I greeted simply. "Uh... why do you look so nervous?"

He jumped slightly, almost dropping the donut he held tightly in his paws. "O-oh!" His tail waved in surprise. "I... uh... I ended up buying this donut..." His legs were shaking, his gaze still travelling around the room, hardly ever settling on one thing. "I... I... I didn't want to, but that girl..." Just for a moment, his eyes focused on a girl across the room. She seemed to be hosting some sort of bake sale, and she had several arms and an over-all spider-like appearance. "even though I told her no, she... kept staring at me in this creepy way and licking her lips. N... now I'm outta cash. M...maybe I can sell it online... get some money back... do... you have any money?" He asked.

Curious, I nodded. "How much?"

"She was trying to sell it for 9999 G." He laughed nervously.

Quickly, I shook my head. No way. "Sorry bud, good luck. I don't have even half that amount of cash, not even close. You're out of luck." I hesitated, before realizing something. Maybe if I gave him a little money, he'd give me some information later... about that other cat. "I have a little bit of money though." Taking just a little out of my pocket, I handed it to him. He let out a grateful purr.

"Th-thank you!" He practically squealed.

I nodded. "Now... to get to the point here..." His expression turned nervous again, maybe more confused. "Is there any other monsters you know of that... y'know, are cat-like, wear hoodies?" Realizing this may seem suspicious, I added, "The guy dropped something, looking to give it back to him."

Now, his face was one of sorrow. "I apologize, but I don't know them. Haha, if you asked me that years ago and I would've pointed you to the Royal Lab. But he's gone now. O-Oh! Sorry, getting all sad here. I gotta go before that girl tries to make me buy something else. Bye!"

"Wait-" But he was already leaping away.

Papyrus and Toriel both came up to me, Papyrus first commenting. "Learn anything, Frisk?"

I nodded. "Yeah, actually. Not sure if we were talking about the same guy, but he seemed to know about the hooded cat. Apparently years ago, he worked in the Royal Lab or something. Or at least lived by it? He didn't specify. Also, unrelated, but he warned us to stay away from that... spider girl. She seems to be good at convincing you to empty your pockets, y'know?"

Papyrus seemed rather impressed that I got that information, while Toriel just seemed more disturbed. "Er... alright." She murmured simply. "Let's keep going, then."

We continued onto the next room, another vent puzzle. Just what I wanted to see. Finally, the phone rang, it seemed to be working again.

"Hi, Alphys here! The camera cut out again... anything happen?"

I blinked. "Aaron should tell you what happened."

Toriel sighed. "I may come to visit myself later... make sure he got the message along properly. It's rather important, and I advise you to not leave the lab until he gets there, alright? And maybe... try not going to the CORE."

"Huh? Why?" Alphys asked.

"We're not 100% sure how to explain it." Papyrus admitted. "But, when the camera cut out, someone said that the Royal Scientist before you... fell into the CORE, or something like that. Then, he proceeded to wonder if something similar might happen to you? So... judging by that, I feel like that was a bit of a warning."

"O-Oh! Thanks for telling me. Alright, I'll stay here." Alphys confirmed.

We told her goodbye for now, then hung up. Continuing along, I heard Papyrus mutter something along the lines of hating Hotland. What else is new? Toriel seemed rather frustrated with the vents. I payed no mind to their complaints, and continued on.

"There's a puzzle on the left and right." Papyrus revealed. "I'll solve one, you can solve the other?" Papyrus asked.

Toriel snickered. "And what am I supposed to do? Sit here and look pretty?" She joked, though she kept on heading for the door anyway, proving she wasn't angry at it. I nodded to Papyrus, and left to go solve one of the puzzles.

I solved the one of the left without any trouble whatsoever. Exiting, Papyrus was already heading back. How did he finish that fast? I tried to catch up, though the vents made it a little difficult.

Once at the doors, they glowed a green color, slowly but surely opening, the room shaking as it did so.

The smell of cobwebs hit us as we went through the doors.

Frowning, I continued on, keeping my head held high even with cobwebs everywhere.

A tiny laugh got my attention. "Did you hear what they just said?"

I glanced at Toriel and Papyrus. They both seemed rather concerned.

I kept walking. "They said a human wearing tattered clothing will come through, with two skeletons, a seahorse, and a boss monster."

They were talking about us.

"One of the skeletons and the seahorse are missing..."

"I hear the human hates spiders."

"Her companions must as well, too."

I glared around the room. Toriel seemed worried. "Are they angry because we didn't buy anything?"

"They better not be." I grumbled. I tried to hurry my pace, until I felt cobwebs against my feet, nearly making me trip. As I stumbled, I kept going further into the cobwebs, getting myself even more stuck.

"I heard they love to stomp on them."

Yeah, I do. Dumb spiders.

"I heard that they like to tear their legs off."

Despite how many spiders I've killed... not once have I personally teared their legs off? I know people who have, though.

"I heard..." Looking up, I saw that spider girl from before, a web spun around her that she sat on delicately. Spiders surrounded us. several of them causing Papyrus and Toriel to get stuck as well, as they didn't have any other choice without stomping the spiders. "that they're awfully stingy with their money."

Oh come on.

The spiders suddenly lunged at us, in hardly any time at all managing to wrap us all in cobwebs.

She let out a laugh. "You all think your tastes are too... refined for our pastries, don't you, dearies? Ahuhuhuhu... I disagree with that notion. I think your taste... is exactly what this next batch needs!"


	40. The Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> aaaa 8 chapters to go
> 
> Named it 'the play' in reference to Mettaton's play, and the whole string part of Muffet's fight reminded me of puppet shows for p obvious reasons ^^"

"You all think your tastes are too... refined for our pastries, don't you, dearies? Ahuhuhuhu... I disagree with that notion. I think your taste... is exactly what this next batch needs!"

I merely scoffed. "Not the first time a monster has tried to kill and eat me today." I was, of course, referring to Mettaton nearly killing me with a chainsaw in this 'Cooking With a Killer Robot' show.

"I, uh, don't think bones would taste very good!" Papyrus exclaimed rather loudly. "Try some spaghetti instead?"

As I continued to look, I expected Toriel to be just as freaked out as Papyrus, but she merely gave an 'are you serious?' kind of look. For a moment, I wondered why. Her fragile body was made of glass, did she forget? So why wasn't she scared?

I realized very quickly why not.

Shards of glass broke through the cobwebs surrounding her, the glass painted like the color of fire, glowing brightly even in the dim lighting of the room. She appeared focused, but not concerned. Spiders quickly tried to stop her, but not before she used that same attack to free us. I guess that made me respect Toriel a little more.

Now that we were free, it was time to fight. Spiders continued to block our path, and neither Toriel nor Papyrus seemed to have any intent on harming them.

Looks like this was my job, then.

Somewhat forcefully, I tried to make my way through the spiders, when suddenly I felt... sick. Were these spiders poisonous? Looking down, I realized my soul had turned purple, with purple strings surrounding me like I was some sort of puppet.

"Don't look so blue, dear!" I knew she was talking to me. "I think purple is a better look on you! Ahuhuhu!"

Alarmed, I backed up, closer to Toriel and Papyrus. Very faint, but I could see them; they had the same strings around them. Spiders attached themselves to these strings, running straight at us. The strings were quite flexible yet tough when we pulled on them, so we all climbed to try and avoid the spiders. None of us took a hit the first time.

Though relieved, I still shouted angry curses at her in between attacks, and in reply she merely laughed. Again, we dodged her attacks easily, and she quietly danced and hummed a song, looking a bit distracted. We continued to dodge her attacks as she taunted us, explaining how she was apparently paid to attack us, and she'd get a lot of money after we died. Toriel seemed angry to hear this, while Papyrus was clearly saddened by it. I didn't really care, I was used to this, I guess.

None of us were at all harmed until she introduced us to her 'pet'. Some sort of cupcake monster. After that, we got hit quite a lot, not just because of her pet, but her attacks got harder. Suddenly, something stopped her.

"HEY!"

A loud, robotic voice shouted.

"STOP!"

The spider girl blinked in confusion, halting her attacks. We were confused as well.

"Why?" She asked, her head tilted slightly.

"I'LL EXPLAIN LATER! WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" Mettaton shouted, flying towards us using his almost jet-pack like body.

I'm not sure why exactly she listened to Mettaton, but I was secretly thankful that she did. The spiders fled, along with her, back into the dark. Mettaton lead us back out.

"Mind explaining?" Toriel asked.

Mettaton pointed to a poster, hanging loosely on a wall. "MY LIVE PERFORMANCE! IT'S GONNA START ANY MINUTE AND THE PLAY IS UTTERLY DOOMED IF YOU DON'T HELP ME!"

"... You're saying this when the show starts in like, 10 minutes?" I raised an eyebrow. "Did you not think to have other people in your play until now?"

"DON'T ARGUE WITH ME, DARLING! YOU'RE ALL GONNA HELP, AND YOU'RE GONNA BE STARS!" Mettaton declared.

"We don't have a choice, do we?" Papyrus asked.

"NOPE!" Mettaton laughed. "FRISK AND TORIEL, YOU TWO STAY RIGHT HERE! PAPYRUS- WAIT, WHERE'S YOUR BROTHER?!"

"He's-"

"WE NEED HIM FOR THE SHOW!" Mettaton yowled dramatically. Under his breath, he murmured, "Aaron would be preferred too but. Alphys called me and told me he won't be showing up so..."

As I watched Papyrus and Mettaton argue about whether or not they should call Sans and make him join the show, I tugged on Toriel's sleeve.

"Hm? What is it, child?" She asked.

"Can we run?" I requested. "I don't want to be on some weird TV show."

"You've been on Mettaton's other shows, though! This could be fun!" Toriel encouraged.

"Fun? This is dumb! We need to keep going!" I whined.

"I don't think Mettaton will let us go, so let's make the best of it, child."

I let out a loud sigh. Noticing Mettaton and Papyrus were done, Mettaton dragged Papyrus away to... somewhere, I assume to get ready for this mysterious show.

About... 8 minutes past? At some point, Sans teleported over to us, seeming a bit annoyed. I tried to ask if he found anything, but he just shrugged and explained that he was having difficulty with it, and we have may more luck if we check the CORE itself.

When they were done, I was... surprised, to say the least. Apparently, for this little 'show', Sans and Papyrus were wearing more... uh... dramatic, clothing? Worse, though, they had several lines painted onto them. I immediately recognized this was meant to resemble the broken glass that covered a monster, like Toriel and Aaron. While Mettaton was... wearing a... 'beautiful blue gown' as he called it. Oh boy.

"Uh, why?" I asked as soon as I processed what I was looking at.

"I'LL EXPLAIN. YOU SEE, THE PLAY IS STARING A HUMAN, ROBOT, AND SOME BROKEN MONSTERS! SO, OF COURSE, SINCE WE ONLY HAD TORIEL, I NEEDED TO COMPROMISE. BESIDES, I'M SURE THE BROKEN LOOK WILL BE GOOD CAMOUFLAGE!" The crazy robot insisted. How is that- augh. "IT'LL BE GREAT! NONE OF YOU NEED TO SING, JUST DANCE!"

"... what's the play about?" I asked.

"YOU'LL SEE! NO TIME, THE SHOW IS AIRING SOON! NOW, OPENING SCENE IS ALL YOU NEED TO REMEMBER, YOU CAN IMPROV THE REST. IN THE OPENING SCENE, FRISK, YOU'LL BE DEFENDING YOURSELF FROM THE MONSTERS, ALRIGHT?"

"Whoopie."

The other monsters didn't seem pleased with this either. I sent them a look that meant to say- 'should we crash it?' but I couldn't tell a clear answer from any of them.

Well, the show was about to begin. Deciding to follow Mettaton's instruction, I found a spot close to the wall (which I noticed was a dead end and quickly realized that we couldn't run without running back to Muffet's spider lair) and took a defensive stance, holding my frying pan high in the air. The other monsters pretended to attack me, without actually firing magic.

It went on like this for about a full minute, until Mettaton began to... roll down the stairs. Not like he could walk. With every step, a loud 'thud' was heard, making for a more comical than dramatic effect. He began to sing in a robotic voice, but I didn't listen. Subtly, he motioned for us to stay behind him. Toriel started doing some sort of improvised dance- which actually looked rather graceful. Neither Sans nor Papyrus seemed to know what to do, and eventually Sans just gave up and seemed to sleep, still standing up. Papyrus made some sort of attempt, though bad at it. Just for the sake of it, I started practically breakdancing. I wasn't good at it, but I found myself laughing at our own moves, mostly me and Papyrus' failed attempts at dancing. Mettaton seemed to go with it, despite us all laughing a bit. I was no longer paying attention to the lyrics until-

"SO OVERWHELMED WITH TRAGEDIES!   
THE KING HAS ORDERED THE HUMAN,  
TO WASTE AWAY IN THE BASEMENT,  
THE LONELY CASTLE BASEMENT!  
WELL, TOODLES!"

Oh come on.

With the press of a button, I'd somehow fallen through the floor, along with the other monsters.

"OH NO! THERE'S BEEN A MISTAKE! THE MONSTERS HAVE FALLEN INTO THE TRAP WITH THE HUMAN! WHATEVER SHALL THEY DO? WELL, THE PUZZLE IS ALREADY ACTIVATED, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY MUST WORK TOGETHER!"

Great. Sounds lovely, really. Looking at it, it was the colored tile maze. Papyrus' eyes lit up as he whispered to us, "I, the great Papyrus, know the answer to this puzzle! I'll guide you!" As Mettaton explained, Papyrus went to the front of the group, seeming to plan out the fastest route while ignoring Mettaton's comments completely, for once. I noticed, quite alarmingly, that there were flames behind us, I guess acting as a time limit.

Once we could go, we all tried to keep up with Papyrus. Turns out, that was difficult. While Papyrus had no trouble running through the puzzle at full speed, me and Toriel struggled to even remember where he'd run to. Sans just teleported to the other side.

When we finally all managed to complete the puzzle, Mettaton clapped. "CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ALL MADE IT THROUGH THE PUZZLE! ..." He turned his body to look at Sans. "IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER." Turning back to look at the entire group, he continued, "AND NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, THE FLAMES WILL DEACTIVATE!" As he said so, the flames vanished into thin air. "NO MORE FIRE! ... BUT IT'S AS THE PHRASE GOES. 'OUT OF THE FIRE, AND INTO THE FRYING PAN.'" I can say confidently I've never heard that phrase before. Must be a monster thing? "THAT'S RIGHT, DARLINGS! EVEN IF YOU MANAGE TO BEAT THE HEAT... YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND MY HOT METAL BODY! PREPARE YOURSELF FOR MY-"

Ring, ring...

I picked up the phone. Unsurprisingly, it was Alphys. "Watch out! I'll save you! Flames, deactivate! ... huh...?"

"THEY FINISHED THE PUZZLE, ALPHYS. I ALREADY TURNED OFF THE FLAMES. IN FACT, I WAS ABOUT TO FIGHT THEM."

Fight us Mettaton, I dare you. We just got past an angry spider army.

"Wh-what? That puzzle? I mean, uh, great job! We've got him on the ropes now!"

"ON THE ROPES? HA!" Mettaton laughed... in a robotic sort of way. "I ONLY DEACTIVATED THE FLAMES, KNOWING THAT ALPHYS WOULD HAVE ANYWAY. NOW, WHERE WERE WE? OH YES. I WAS GOING TO ERADICATE YOU ALL!"

Deciding to say aloud my thoughts I had before, I shouted, "Fight us, Mettaton! We just got past an angry spider army and we danced like champions! FIGHT US!" I heard a couple of snickers behind me as I shouted that.

"THIS IS IT, DARLINGS! SAY GOODBYE!"

"H-Hey!" Alphys interrupted. "Th-this seems bad, but don't worry! Frisk, I installed o-one last thing on your phone! S-See that yellow button! Press it! And-uh, everyone else, stand back?"

Waiting for the other monsters to back up just in case, I took Alphys' advice as pressed the yellow button. My soul, which I'd failed to notice was now back to a red color, slowly began to turn upside down. It hurt, and I found myself digging my nails into my palms, wincing but trying to tough it out. Once it was fully turned, the soul suddenly shone a bright yellow color, and it no longer hurt.

"N-Now, attack!" Alphys shouted.

Attack? I wondered. Used to physical damage, I tried to run up to Mettaton, thinking of my attacks as I went. Yet, as I thought more and more, my soul itself suddenly shot at Mettaton. Mettaton shook and yelled in surprise. "YOU'VE DEFEATED ME! HOW CAN THIS BE, YOU WERE STRONGER THAN I THOUGHT... AND STUFF... WHATEVERGOODBYE" With that, he was gone. Somewhere. I was extremely confused, but relieved it was over. Wow, this new soul-attacking thing was powerful. I wanted to keep it, though just as I thought that, the yellow color faded, and, taking an agonizingly long amount of time, turned back until it was again upright. Powerful, but it hurt. It felt great when actually attacking, though.

"L-Looks like you beat him! Great job, team!" Alphys exclaimed. "Y-You all did great out there!"

"Thank you, Alphys!"

"Thanks, Al."

"A great team effort!"

Noticing all the other monsters answer, I hesitated but responded, "That... thing you installed on the phone, the one that changed my soul color? ... That was cool, thanks."

"What? Oh no, I mean... you guys were the ones doing everything cool!" Alphys giggled. "I just wrote some silly programs and stuff."

"That was cool!" Aaron's voice boomed through the phone. "I was watching the whole time! Man, I wish I was there!" His voice was so loud I nearly dropped the phone. Alphys just laughed a bit awkwardly.

"The exit to the... erm... 'dungeon' is right up ahead! Then we're almost at the CORE! It's just past MTT Resort! Bye guys!"

Hanging up the phone after saying a quiet 'thanks', I smiled and continued on the path. Quietly, I wondered what MTT Resort might look like. I haven't heard of it... at least I don't think so? Up ahead, we saw those guards from before. I sent a quick glance at Papyrus, and he gave an almost defeated sort of look.

"I got this. Hold on though, Mettaton never gave me and Paps a chance to change back to our normal, comfortable clothing. Be right back." With a snap of his fingers, he and Paps were gone. They only left for a few minutes, before returning with their regular outfits.

"We couldn't get this makeup off!" Papyrus complained, referring to the 'makeup' that made him and Sans look like broken monsters. He seemed a bit tired, as if he'd tried desperately to get it off. It clearly smudged, proving it could be taken off, but it seemed like it'd take a while.

"Hey bro, calm down. You seem a bit-"

"Don't you dare."

"Shattered."

"NYEH!"

Sans laughed, though unfortunately, that seemed to get the guard's attention. They were stomping towards us, but thankfully, Sans merely had to teleport us to right outside MTT Resort to escape. We looked back, and the guards seemed quite confused, but they didn't bother to track us down. Talk about being lazy at your job, jeez. We're right here. TURN AROUND. Actually, scrap that. Stay right where you are and don't notice us, it'll make this easier, thanks.

Observing the place, it seemed so big and fancy that I felt intimidating by it. Usually places like these had a lot of security. It was always a hassle just trying to get in to one of these places, let alone actually get anything, so we often avoided these super rich-looking hotels. I hoped this would be different.

Noticing a back alley, written in chalk on the ground was a red arrow leading down the path. On the side of the hotel, likely done with spray paint, read 'Catty and Bratty's Store: Buy Our Junk!"

I snickered at this. Creepy alleyways with mysterious things for sale. Now this felt more like home.

"Frisk, what are you- Frisk no!" Papyrus tried to pull me away by pulling on my jacket, but I just pulled my arms out of the jacket and kept going. "Frisk, you do not go down dangerous alleyways! What are you doing?!"

I just laughed and kept going, secretly rather intimidated by this as well. When I actually saw the monsters running the store, I had mixed opinions. One was a alligator, the other was a purple cat with dyed hair (black hair, the ends dyed blue). Both of them wore clothes that made it look like they went thrift shopping to get them. The two were eagerly chatting about how hot they thought Mettaton was (I also heard who I assumed to be Catty ((because... y'know, cat)) exclaiming that she'd pay anyone 1000 G if they got Mettaton to sign her butt...), until they spotted me. They quit talking and eyed me cautiously, but relaxed slightly when Papyrus followed me in, Toriel and Sans staying outside.

"Hey! Check it out!" They both exclaimed, seeming to strain smiles as they pointed to what they had for sale. Some old junk food (that looked like a bite was already taken out of it... ew), a gun, a cowboy hat, and a key. Catty seemed to realize her mistake, and frantically tried to pull the gun away from me.

"How much is the gun?" I snickered.

"Frisk. No." Papyrus grumbled. "We should be going."

"Aw, c'mon Papyrus, it's just a creepy alleyway!"

"EXACTLY."

Bratty shook her head. "The gun is not for sale, that's our gun. We just misplaced it."

"But if you were to sell it?" I asked.

"We'd have to shoot you!" They both answered dramatically, then both burst out into girlish squealing and giggles. Alright, guess I won't be getting that gun anytime soon, especially with Papyrus watching this interaction like a hawk. Knowing him, he'd make me put the gun back if I stole it. Because Papyrus.

Shrugging, the key didn't really interest me (breaking into things was more fun, and I couldn't recall any doors that'd need a key for me to open at the moment), and I wasn't about to get sick from old junk food, so I bought the cowboy hat. I tried to pretend to count the money wrong, hoping they'd let me go, but they didn't. Considering the fact that they were the ones with a gun, I agreed to pay full price, put on the hat and left, much to Papyrus' relief.

"Huh. Cool hat." Sans commented casually. Papyrus crossed his arms, but handed me the small, black jacket I'd thrown off to escape to the world of creepy, out-of-the-way stores. I put that on as well as we entered MTT Resort.

And, as I entered, I saw a big door, slightly concealed by monsters and a large fountain. 

Above it was a sign, that read 'CORE'.


	41. MTT Hotel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 7 chapters left and I wrote the original version last February... that says something about my upload schedule, doesn't it? x'D Though to be fair, been on hiatus for nearly 3 months now so :'D
> 
> Excited to return!
> 
> Also, in the story, the MTT hotel employee wasn't actually given a name in-game, so I just named her "Aarsi". Means looking glass, apparently!

So... there's the CORE. The huge, golden doors leading too it were right in front of me, hidden only by the fountain. The humming of the building and the bubbling of water seemed to pull me into a trance as I stared at it in silence. Not an... eerie silence, no. Just a realization, I guess. We're finally here.

_Be extremely careful..._

_Who knows what's going to happen?_

_Good luck, guys..._

_Stay with each other..._

The voices whispered to us, and I sighed quietly, relaxed by the simple fact that the voices were still with us. Yet, at the same time, their words worried me. Even they seemed unsure about what would happen. _The voice's advice hasn't failed us yet. Even if they don't know what will happen, I'll make sure everyone is safe._

"Did you hear that?" Toriel murmured, looking behind her. "Could've sworn I heard whispering? Didn't sound like you guys."

I quickly opened my mouth, tempted to tell her that it was nothing, but I quickly shut my mouth. No, the voices let her hear this for a reason, surely. But then... why couldn't Toriel hear them clearly? She only heard whispering. Looking around, it was quite clear that Papyrus and Sans heard them too, and heard them clearly. Did Alphys and Aaron hear? I wondered. I just shrugged. "What now?"

"Maybe we should stay in the hotel a bit." Sans shrugged.

That's when I realized, the longer we stood at the entrance, the more people looked at us, some afraid, some angry, few indifferent. Of course they'd recognize us... none of the monsters in the hotel were broken, so Toriel stood out rather painfully. And, of course, I'm the human that kills monsters. Standing in a hotel full of monsters. No wonder we were gonna stand out.

Sans nervously threw his hoodie over his head, while Papyrus gave an awkward wave before moving out of the way, and I followed him. The hotel monsters waiting for the elevator all left, even those who didn't seem to fully understand the situation. As they walked out, a black slime monster with a red bow tie pushed me aside as she walked out, glaring at us in disgust with her single eye.

As we began walking rather aimlessly, we passed an almost star-shaped monster, who looked nearly broken despite... at least presumably never being killed before. A light blue and pink throughout her body and wearing a red bow and gem necklace, she nervously exclaimed, "Welcome to MTT Resort! Hotland's biggest apartment-building-turned-hotel! Whether you're here for a night's stay or still live here, MTT Resort prides itself on a great stay!" I could tell this was routine for her, to say this to literally everyone who passed. An employee here, without a doubt. Maybe she wanted to run from us, just like the monsters by the elevator.

"We're just passing through." Sans shrugged, his voice softer than usual, likely sensing her fear.

"Just passing through...? Nice! MTT Resort prides itself on being passed through!" She seemed to relax slightly, though it was hard to tell, considering she had no muscle. She looked completely made of glass, yet at the same time, not broken like Toriel.

I debated talking to her for a moment. But, remembering the disgusted look the slime monster gave us, and the voice's warning to be extremely careful, I couldn't risk it. Awkwardly, I began walking down a random hallway, though it was just some doors.

About to leave, I turned, though suddenly heard a barking from the furthest door. "BARK! BARK!"

"Heh. Seems _paw_ sible a dog is staying in that room."

"Sans. Don't."

"C'mon Papyrus, don't be so _ruff_ on your brother!"

"You two are UNBELIEVABLE!" Papyrus shouted, causing laughter from the two other monsters. I heard a quiet giggle, and I noticed that employee laughing at us again. Not wanting to show my face in such a public place, I turned back to the door where the bark came from. Well, maybe that dog would like some company. By company, I mean a hot dog.

I'm great at puns, I swear.

Grabbing a hot dog from my inventory, I placed it in front of the door. A white paw reached out, looking like the same paw as the dog-bomb, or maybe even the one in that odd "dream" as they called it. After failing a few times to get a grip on the treat, he finally succeeded. In return, a small box was pushed out. Looking inside, it was an odd treat I'd never seen before. There was a note on it.

_Hush Puppies!  
This wonderful spell will stop a dog from casting magic!_

Uh... what? This looks and smells like food. What do they mean by 'spell'?

"Hey. Kid. I see you gave that dog a hot dog. Where'd ya get it?" Sans questioned, looming over me, somehow without me noticing until he spoke.

Turning to him with a blank expression, I mumbled, "Outer space." and turned back to the 'Hush Puppies' as they were called. What a weird food..? I'd never heard of it.

"Hm. Hush Puppies. Better keep that kid, there's a lot of healing magic in those things. Even though you only got it through stealing from me." Sans snickered, before walking back with the group who was watching on curiously, while simultaneously looking around the hotel. I placed it in my pocket and waddled over to join them.

"Why's that fountain spilling water onto the floor?" Papyrus questioned aloud as we passed it. Tossing off my jacket and cowboy hat, I stood under it. Ah. Sweet release from the painful heat of Hotland! Finally! This water was pleasantly freezing. I turned back to the group, and I was responded with Toriel and Papyrus looking very confused. Eventually, Sans tossed off his own jacket, and joined me, pushing me out of the water, only to get absolutely soaked himself. I laughed, allowing myself to calm down just for a little bit. Maybe if I just focused on this, I could ignore the feeling of everyone else in the hotel still here cautiously watching us.

It didn't take long before Papyrus and Toriel both joined in. The water flow was gentle, allowing Toriel's broken body to enter unharmed, though getting her dress soaked. Papyrus took off his boots, scarf and gloves before joining us as well, each of us taking turns to run through the water, at last free from the heat.

Once we were finally done, we didn't bother to shake the water off. We knew the heat would dry it up quickly anyways. Putting my jacket and hat back on, I turned to find that employee laughing again.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have another ally...

"I bet you're wondering... _water_ we doing?" Sans spoke up, grinning.

The girl snickered. "I'm pretty _shore_ I know."

Sans and Toriel grinned, while me and Papyrus just gave each other a look of 'oh no'.

Hearing a groaning sound across the room, we all turned to the cat employee at the burger place, clearly struggling to keep a fake smile. "Aarsi. Please." He sounded almost desperate.

"Mettaton told us to be polite to our guests, grumpypants!" The glass monster, apparently named 'Aarsi' replied. Turning to us, she grinned as she said, "Why don't you all go buy a burger, or something else? Don't mind Burgerpants, been a stressful day for us employees."

I nodded quietly, still feeling uncomfortable in such an expensive looking place. Walking up to Burgerpants, I felt like I knew him already. He reminded me of a friend from the surface. A smoker, constantly sick of his surroundings, injured often, stupid nickname, smiling so he wouldn't get in trouble... those two were a lot a like. As we approached, he straightened up, taking one last breath of his cigarette before tossing it aside. "Welcome to MTT-Brand Burger Emporium, home of the Glamburger. Sparkle up your day! TM..." I couldn't help but chuckle as he added in the 'TM' part.

"'Sup?" I asked.

"I'm sorry." The boy laughed weakly. "It's against the rules to talk to customers who haven't bought anything." As I turned to the menu, he asked, "How can I help you, O customer?"

"Burgerpants, Mettaton isn't even here!" Aarsi interrupted. "He's in the CORE! You know that."

"They have security cameras here..." Burgerpants whined, his tail flicking before turning back to us. "Haha... anything you guys want to buy?"

"Should I save my money or buy something?" I asked the group.

"I'm buyin' a Glamburger. Stuff here's expensive, but it's better than no food at all. You're running low." Sans replied.

"Why can't we just go back to Waterfall?" Papyrus exclaimed. "There's better things at Gerson's shop!"

"No food will beat a steak in the shape of Mettaton's face." I snorted, pointing to it on the menu. Burgerpants seemed to be growing more and more uncomfortable.

"But... we could probably go back to Waterfall! Y'know... to have more options?"

I turned to Papyrus and shook my head. "No way! Undyne's there! And..." I kept my voiced hushed as I murmured. "What about the Temmies? One of the monsters that left here looked half-temmie, I swear. She was beside the slime monster."

As I whispered, I heard Toriel apologizing to Burgerpants and Aarsi, and that we just had to decide. I didn't hear their responses, but they didn't seem to be too worried.

"What, you scared of the CORE?" I whispered.

"No! Of course not!" Papyrus whisper-shouted back. "I just..."

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. Undyne was his friend. But now we were going to the CORE... getting closer to the king's castle... and those grey monsters...

He didn't want to leave her behind, did he? Or Monster Kid, they were friends too, weren't they?

"You want to find Undyne and MK, right?" I murmured.

Papyrus slowly nodded.

I sighed.

"Sans, Toriel, can you follow us outside? We should talk." I called. They seemed confused, but followed us anyways. Not wanting to be spotted by the Royal Guard, we ducked into an alleyway, opposite to Bratty and Catty's place.

"Is everything alright?" Toriel asked, once we were out of sight.

"I... I think I can convince Undyne to help us." Papyrus began. "We used to be best friends, so I think that I can convince her to help us. And MK, too. He's young, but he's stronger than he looks."

"You can say that again." I grumbled, turning my back to the group momentarily to point out the claw marks on the back of my shirt. "But why should we? They're safe in Waterfall, don't you want that? We're both safer. Undyne would kill me, if I didn't kill her first."

To my surprise, Toriel agreed with Papyrus. "They'd be safer here. Less broken monsters in Hotland."

"Why would broken monsters hurt either of them, though? I thought they were attacking us out of revenge?" I questioned, looking at Toriel rather intensely.

"It's calmer here, too." Toriel blinked. "It's hot, but maybe they could stay with Alphys. Undyne and Alphys are friends, I've heard, so perhaps they could-"

_RING, RING_

"S-Sorry for... uh... hi... Alphys here! Haha... sorry for listening to your conversation, but I'm sure me and Aaron could convince her. Maybe Papyrus could come with us? I'm sure things will feel a lot less stressful if we make things right with them!"

"Oh goody." I replied sarcastically.

Sans actually agreed with me, saying, "We should probably just continue, we've prolonged this long enough." Though, I guess he switched opinions after seeing Papyrus' desperate look. "... Welp, I guess it would be one less enemy. How should we do this, though?"

"Me, Sans and Frisk should stay near the hotel. We don't want to overwhelm Undyne, especially with Frisk. Face it, those two would fight. Besides... I'm worried about Flowey showing up again. So the three of us will stay here, and you three can go and talk with Undyne?" Toriel suggested.

The voices told us to stay together... _this is wrong. No. We can't do this._

"But... the- er, we need to stay together." I awkwardly demanded, whispering to Papyrus and Sans, "You heard the voices, right?"

The two nodded.

"Frisk's right." Sans agreed.

"But we won't have to be as careful if we have more friends on our side!" Papyrus pleaded. "Besides... I'd be the worst friend ever if I left them in Waterfall. And both me and Alphys are best friends with Undyne. We can convince her."

"You know how stubborn Undyne is." Sans countered. "When she puts her mind to something, she won't stop."

"She'll kill me! We already have enough problems with those grey monsters!" I spat.

"Frisk, you should know better than anyone else that I'm good at convincing people not to kill me. You killed every monster you saw until you met me." Papyrus pointed out, his tone dead serious.

Silence fell upon us as we battled with ourselves, trying to choose what to do.


	42. [REDACTED]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 6 chapters left! Wooo! Will try to get all of this done ASAP, but my mom's birthday is tomorrow, and I probably won't be home Wednesday-Thursday (not sure yet). It'll get done though ^^

_If any of them should go... Papyrus and Alphys have the best chance..._

_Alphys... Undyne..._

_Papyrus... MK..._

_Aaron... watch the cameras..._

_Everyone else... take a break..._

I dug my nails into my palms. Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but... the voices haven't screwed us over yet. "... Fine. Aaron should stay by the cameras, then, so he can tell us where you are. Alphys should go too." I grumbled reluctantly.

Papyrus' face instantly lit up with joy. Alphys' voice from the phone quickly exclaimed, "That should work! We'll be quick. Papyrus, take the elevators and meet me in front of the lab."

"Alright!" Papyrus grinned. I sighed. Too late now, I had to trust the voices. As Alphys hung up the phone, Papyrus began to walk back to the elevators. As he left, I quickly caught up with him.

"You heard the voices, right?" I whispered.

Papyrus nodded. "One of the voices spoke more clearly than the others, I think it was talking directly to me. It said that Alphys should focus on getting through to Undyne, and I should focus on getting through to MK."

I nodded. "Heard... something like that. Heard the names, but nothing else." I hesitated. "Be careful, alright? The only reason I'm even letting you leave is because I've trusted the voices so far."

Papyrus smiled, and said, "Worry not, human! I'll be back soon!", before running off.

Shaking my head, I walked back to the group, silent.

The broken monster smiled, maybe sympathetically. "Maybe we should go back to the hotel? It's cooler in there."

"I'd rather wait here." I mumbled, sitting down against the wall.

Sans shrugged. "Stay here if you want kid. Nothing's gonna happen, though. Papyrus will be back soon, and Aaron's watching the cameras just in case."

"Well if the 'just in case' happens, then I need to be ready. Not sleeping in a hotel." I replied. "You can do that, because you can teleport. Or something like that. But I can't, so I'm staying here."

"You'll overheat here, child. How will you protect Papyrus if you pass out from the heat before you get there?" Toriel placed a paw on my shoulder. "Come with us. Papyrus will be fine. Papyrus is friends with Undyne and MK, they won't hurt him. They won't hurt Alphys either."

I stayed quiet, determined. But... she was right. The voices told us to relax, so they must agree with her. I'd overheat out here. After quite a while, I sighed and stood up, silently following them into the hotel.

"Welcome back!" The 'glass' monster greeted. "Where's your friend?"

"He's just out for a bit." Sans shrugged.

Aarsi simply nodded.

I walked over to the cat called 'Burgerpants'. "2 Glamburgers, please." I sighed. He gave me the price, and I tossed him the money. Neither of us talked much, we simply traded money for food.

"To stay or to go?" He asked.

"Go." I responded simply. He gave me the food in a small bag. The glamburgers themselves were surprisingly small- through determination, I managed to shove the bag into my pocket.

Sans and Toriel bought themselves some food as well. After that, we all sat down by the fountain. Sans and Toriel ate a bit, but I didn't eat anything. It was very quiet.

Peaceful, if it weren't for the fact that Papyrus wasn't here. I found myself humming quietly, eventually getting restless and walking around the edge of the fountain. I guess Sans and Toriel got bored, as they started talking quietly to each other. I was tired, but there was no way I'd rest right now. I needed to be ready, just in case. However tired I might be.

"What song are you humming, kid?" Sans asked eventually. I shrugged, responding that I couldn't remember the name of it. I paused, before asking if Aaron, Alphys or Papyrus had texted or called either of them. "I woulda told you if they had. Don't worry about it."

I shrugged again, then went back to walking. As I walked, my mind drifted- what was Papyrus doing, exactly?

 

(Alphys' POV)

I walked as fast as I could- running for most of the trip. Papyrus must've been at least twice my height, and walked way faster, even though he insisted many times he was walking as slow as he could. We were approaching Undyne's house now, and I smiled a bit. I knew MK would be there too- we saw him on the way here and he challenged us to a race, running off in another direction, easily getting there before us since neither of us tried to catch up with him. Admittedly, I was very nervous. I assume Papyrus was nervous too, considering how slow he was walking compared to usual. Though I'm very good friends with Undyne, I knew how stubborn she could be, especially when she was trying to protect us.

I'd have to be stubborn too, this time.

My thoughts drifted, until I ended up walking into Papyrus. I jumped back- startled that he'd stopped walking. "P-Papyrus?"

"Shhh! Do you hear that?" For once, he was actually whispering. I listened hard. It took me a moment, but I finally heard it.

Three, mostly muted voices... children's voices. Screaming.

"They must be just... playing, right?" I quickly said, trying to calm him down, but Papyrus was already bolting towards the sound. As we got closer, I realized why.

One of the voice's was MK's voice... I could tell that. The other, I didn't want to believe I was hearing her voice. The third, I could not recognize, it blended in with the voices like an echo, making me unsure if I heard it at all.

I ran as fast as I could- though I couldn't run fast enough. I finally caught up, when Papyrus seemed to have located where the sound was coming from. It was some sort of shed. It was... very odd. I'd never once seen it on the cameras, or while walking to Undyne's house by myself in the past.

Then, something clicked. The voices. The shed that appeared out of nowhere. The oddities that I'd been studying since something after Frisk's arrival in the underground. The feeling of forgetting something. I realized why things weren't adding up.

This is where my research was leading me.

I couldn't let Papyrus open that shed.

"PAPYRUS, WAIT!" I screamed, racing forward to try and grab his arm so he wouldn't open the door. I panicked, trying to think of something to say to change his mind. I had to think quickly- Papyrus would assume he was just protecting children. He wouldn't know. He wouldn't understand. He wouldn't stop, because he'd assume that it could wait. I'd have to just be straightforward, I guess. "DON'T OPEN THE DOOR!"

Papyrus turned to me. "Are you crazy?! There's children in there!" I grabbed his arm to try and pull him away, but he grabbed onto the door with his other hand. He turned the door knob, but to my surprise and relief, it was locked.

"Papyrus, stop! Let me explain!" I shouted. But it was too late. Papyrus summoned an attack- one that made my heart stop with fear when I saw it. He shot it directly at the door handle, breaking it off, leaving only a large hole in it's place.

**Suddenly^1, from inside & the [redacted], you hear a&/%%**

 

(Frisk's POV)

My phone began to ring. I nearly dropped it in panic, not even looking at the number as I answered, "H-Hello? Papyrus?"

"It's... uh... Undyne, actually. Papyrus is here too."

I panicked a little. Why would she be calling me?! Wait, where's MK and Alphys? Maybe they're in the other room? What do I do?

"O-Oh." I ended up sputtering out. Well done, Frisk. Best response goes to: Frisk! Come down to Undyne's house and receive your prize- a punch in the face! "Uh... you must've called for a reason." I cleared my throat, unsure of what impression I should try to make. I considered tough... but Undyne already hates me, and I pretty much ruined it with the first thing I said. So. I guess I'll just try to be... polite?? "May I ask what that is?"

"Yeah. I'm asking what the hell kind of sick joke this is."

"... Uh... what joke?" I asked, now honestly confused.

I could hear her move the phone away from her, cursing angrily for a reason I was unaware of. "Y'know what? Alright, tell me why I found Papyrus half-dead?!"

"Half... wh- I..." I shivered. "What do you-"

"ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!" She screeched through the phone, nearly making me drop it.

"Alright, alright!" I whimpered. "Full story! Me, Papyrus, Sans and Toriel were near the CORE. Papyrus wanted to go back to Waterfall to... make sure you guys were alright? And, uh, we talked to Alphys and Aaron about it, and Alphys said she and Papyrus would both go to Waterfall! So Alphys told Papyrus to take the elevators, and meet her right in front of the lab so they could walk to Waterfall. That's all I know!"

"... Alphys...? You lying brat! I spoke with Alphys _literally seconds_ before I called you. She never left the lab."

My heart dropped.

"But... but she would've called me if plans changed! Or Aaron would've called me! C-Call the lab again!"

"I. Just. Called them." Undyne snarled. "I know you're lying to me. Alphys wouldn't lie to me. Besides, Alphys told me that Aaron wasn't there."

"Ok, ok. Where did you find Papyrus half-dead? Or is Papyrus awake? Ask Papyrus, then. He'll know what happened, he went with her."

"Papyrus is still passed out. And I know you're lying."

"No! Please, I swear! Wait 'till Papyrus wakes up. I'm not lying. Or at least go back to where you found Papyrus, then? Maybe you'll-"

"I'm not going anywhere you say."

"Then I'll do it myself!" I shouted. I could feel the concerned gazes of Sans and Toriel on my back as they listened in. "I'll go to the lab first. Then I'll-"

"No. Fine." I heard her call to someone away from the phone. "MK! Watch Papyrus." I couldn't hear his response, but I assume he said 'ok'. "Alright, human. I'll go there, but there won't be anyone there." She said stubbornly. As she walked, I turned over to Sans.

"Sans... do me a favor and go to the lab, please? I need to check if Alphys is there..."

Sans nodded. "Is Papyrus ok?"

"...He's alright." I answered. "Be quick."

Sans was gone before I finished my sentence. He was back quickly. "Neither Alphys or Aaron are there." He said. "What did Undyne say? Is Papyrus ok? Should I-" I guess Undyne could hear, because she answered,

"Papyrus is... alright. He has very visible injuries, but it's nothing magic can't heal. Wait there."

I put the phone on speakerphone as she began to talk, so Sans could hear. He responded, "He's my brother, so I-"

"Don't. Alphys isn't there, is she? ... I'm at the place where I found Papyrus. She's not here... Where is Alphys?!" She asked me.

"We don't know, Undyne. We promise you. Check the lab yourself if you have to- she's not there." Sans spoke calmly as he could, though I could tell he badly wanted to teleport away, likely to see how Papyrus was, or where Alphys might be.

Undyne sighed loudly. "Alright. Go back to the lab, and go to the cameras. Hopefully her computer isn't locked... anyways, go to the cameras, and find her. Got it?"

"Got it." Sans teleported away. I looked nervously to Toriel. She seemed unsure, but she offered a smile anyways. I just had to hope we'd find Alphys.

"It's not all bad!" Toriel whispered with a smile. "You and Undyne are... not killing each other! And no one's dead!"

I frowned. "Alphys might be." I whispered back, turning away from her. She was no help.

A silence passed for a moment, Undyne silent on the other line. The 'moment' was a brutally long one, until finally, Sans came back.

"I found the cameras. I checked the cameras in the lab right before you called Frisk, but... I'm not sure who you were talking to, Undyne, but the phone rang and no one picked up. Not even Aaron. I also checked the cameras around Waterfall. Papyrus and Alphys heard voices coming from the shed, some kids screamin' I think, it was hard to hear. Papyrus tried to open the door, but for some reason, Alphys tried to stop him. Eventually, Paps got annoyed and simply broke the lock and opened the door. The camera cuts out there... but I think Alphys might be in that shed. Along with whoever else was in there." Sans explained quickly.

Undyne didn't respond at first. "... Alright, I'll check... what shed, though? Nevermind, did you check the cameras for the last time Alphys and Aaron were in the lab?"

"Yeah, I did. They simply walked out of view of the cameras and never walked back into frame." Sans murmured.

"Did you check, I dunno, the direction they were walking in?" I grumbled. "You teleported, so maybe they were walking towards us, and Alphys just answered Undyne on her other phone? They might be on their way."

As we debated, my phone buzzed, as if I got a text message. I didn't see what it said, but I knew it came from Undernet. "Ah... that might be from Alphys. Undyne, can you call Sans so we can continue the conversation while I check to be sure?"

Undyne responded by hanging up without a word, Sans' phone ringing barely a second later. My phone buzzed several times, indicating several notifications. As I checked them, it felt as if everything froze.

COOLSKELETON95 has sent you a Mortal Enemy Request!

COOLSKELETON95 has sent you an invitation to "DIE"!

ALPHYS has sent you a Mortal Enemy request!

ALPHYS has sent you an invitation to "KILL YOURSELF"!

has sent you a Friend request!

has sent you an invitation to ""!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to the comment section of the original version, "Well Shit." sums up this chapter quite nicely


	43. Nothing Else Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5 chapters left!
> 
> Named this chapter 'Nothing Else Matters', because... I'll explain in 'end notes' to avoid spoilers.
> 
> Thank you so much to whoever bookmarked + gave this story a kudos! <3

_Stay away from the shed..._

_Something is wrong in that shed..._

_Too dangerous..._

_Show Sans and Toriel the notifications..._

_Go meet Undyne...._

I clenched my fists, at first not wanting to listen to the voices. I'd listened to them. I'd _willingly_ let Papyrus and Alphys go because of their 'advice'. Now Papyrus was hurt, and Alphys was nowhere to be seen. I almost whispered an enraged response, but Toriel and Sans saw me nearly fuming with anger and walked over to me.

But... then I realized. How could they have known? Though it was hard to hear their voices at times, this time it was loud and clear. The voices were either alarmed or nervous, I could tell by their tone. I relaxed a little. Their advice seemed better this time. They seemed almost sorry. After all, it wasn't their fault that Alphys was gone, I could've changed that. I relaxed a little, mentally apologizing to them for my anger. Could they read minds? I wasn't exactly sure, but it seemed that only those who they wanted to speak to could hear them. Surely there's some sort of telepathy going on? Eh, debatable. I wasn't sure if the voices forgave me or not either way, but I hoped they did.

"Frisk." Sans' voice knocked me away from my thoughts, his tone rather concerned. "You ok, kid?"

I showed the Undernet notifications to him and Toriel.

"What's going on?" Undyne's voice came through Sans' phone. Sans stuttered, eventually managing to say, "Go find Papyrus. Now." Undyne didn't ask any questions, but we could hear her footsteps running to what we could only assume to be her house, where she last saw the tall skeleton.

"What should we do?" I asked, concerned.

"Wait until Undyne and Papyrus talk about it. I have a strong feeling that Papyrus didn't even touch his phone while those messages were sent to you. Alphys is likely the same case... as for the friend request with no username attached to it... perhaps we can take that as a warning." Toriel advised, surprisingly keeping her cool.

I raised an eyebrow. "A warning for what?"

"Papyrus and Alphys are your friends. But, on Undernet, you got a mortal enemy request and some... displeasing invitations from their accounts, right?"

I nodded.

"Then you got a friend request from an unknown user, and an invitation to... well, it didn't say. Right?"

I nodded again.

"Take it as a warning, then. Don't listen to the notifications, child. Papyrus and Alphys are those to be trusted. This... mystery user is not. So stay close to us, alright, Frisk? And stay away from whoever this person is." Toriel smiled.

I let out a huff of air. "By that logic, the mystery user could be you or Sans. Papyrus is the only one safe in that logic, because Alphys is probably dead."

I heard Undyne growl at me mentioning Alphys' possible death. For a second, I felt bad... until I wondered, could it be Undyne they were warning me about? ... No, Papyrus seemed so sure. But if they hadn't gone that way... I shook my head. No, that couldn't be it. I didn't know Undyne well, but I could tell just from the way she spoke that she truly cared about Papyrus and Alphys. The notification wouldn't warn me about her.

I sighed. We'd have to wait and see.

Undyne's voice spoke, confused, into the phone. "Well... Papyrus hasn't moved? And what did you say about Undernet again? I was... a little distracted."

"Can you check Papyrus' phone? See if he's logged in?"

"Uh... sure? Why though?" I could hear Undyne typing something into the phone. Guess Undyne knew Papyrus' passcode? Or maybe she's just a hacking genius and no one knew. Or he doesn't have one and Undyne's just typing something to Undernet? I'm reading too deeply into this, aren't I?

"Someone sent me a... PM from his account. Needless to say, don't think Papyrus sent it."

"Doesn't look like anyone's been on it? It's logged out, and I don't know how to get into his Undernet account so... glitch? What kind of message?" Undyne asked.

"Mortal Enemy request." Sans replied. "Like, it's presented like a friend request. But it says 'Mortal Enemy' instead."

"Don't forget the invitation to 'die'." I coughed.

Undyne growled. "Someone's definitely been on his account then. Papyrus is passed out, and even if he wasn't, pretty sure the guy's too innocent to hate someone." She paused. "I thought I overheard you guys talking about Alphys sending a message, too?"

"Yeah. Pretty much the same thing. Enemy request, and a 'polite' invitation to go kill myself. The usual." I grumbled sarcastically. "I'd say someone hacked her account, too."

"Great. Perfect." She hissed. "Y'know what, meet me here. It'll be easier if we're all in the same place." Undyne sighed.

I almost said no, but Sans interrupted with a simple 'ok'. Dammit, Sans! Oh well... hopefully we'll be able to find Alphys on the way there. Or maybe not.

"How are we gonna get past the guards?" I whispered to Sans. Guess not quiet enough, because Undyne heard.

"Just hand them the phone if they cause you trouble. I'll yell at them until they stop." Undyne spoke, in a half-joking way. I murmured some sort of agreement, before walking past them, head held high. Of course, they tried to attack on site, but I managed to not even look their way as I heard Undyne's voice shouting something at them. Their attacks stopped, and none of us were hurt. I guess having Undyne... sort-of on our side wasn't as bad as I thought!

We quickly made our way to the elevator, and it took lead us to the front of the lab with a simple press of a button. We could've probably taken the boat to get to Waterfall, but it was a short walk, and we wanted to find Alphys along the way. As we walked, we stumbled across an older monster who I'd never seen before. He seemed to have a permanent frown, or maybe he was just really grumpy. Judging by his glare, I'd say it was the latter. We continued on without speaking to him.

The air around us was cool, but somehow... uninviting. We passed the bridge where I fought MK, and absentmindedly I caught myself scratching at my back, feeling for the fading scars. The writing on the wall spoke of that prophecy, that I'd almost forgot about.

_However... there is a prophecy.  
The cursed one,  
The one who has seen the surface,  
They will return,  
To break the underground._

I tried to pay it little mind, but it seemed to burn in the back of my mind, until, like a terrible song that's stuck in your head, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It made no sense to me. And, things like that, I tend to ignore. But I couldn't this time, and that made me angry. Who wrote that, anyways?

We passed the darkening lantern room, which made me shiver. We were coming close to Temmie Village. Thankfully, though, as we passed, the Temmie seemed to leave us alone. Though, I could feel their gazes on us. Why didn't they just all attack? It's an entire village against 3. Then again... I'm a pretty good fighter, if I do say so myself. Ok, yeah, I think I get why they didn't attack.

I felt proud and absolutely disgusted with myself at the exact same time. I hated it.

So, I kept going so I didn't have to think about it even more than I already was.

Thankfully, we were there only a couple minutes later. Not-so-thankfully, I couldn't find the shed anywhere. Or Alphys.

"There you are."

I flinched, getting the feeling I'd just been thrown into a trap. But, I relaxed a little, seeing that Undyne herself seemed... uncomfortable and unsure about this meeting, just as I was.

"The shed... _was_ right over there." Undyne motioned behind me. "But it seemed to have just... vanished once I left the house."

I shivered a little. "Think Alphys was in there? Or maybe she's just... passed out around here somewhere? After all, Papyrus was passed out."

"I looked, trust me." Her fins twitched, maybe with worry, but it was hard to tell.

I sighed. "I'll look around some more then. I don't have time for this." I began walking away before any of them said a word. I remembered, then, the voices telling us to stay together. I wouldn't be gone for long. I'd just look quickly...

Nope.

I jumped as I saw MK, and the gray monster who looked like him beside him. They were talking. Before they could turn to face me, I ran back, pointing silently to where they were. I didn't want to make a sound, in case it was a clue. The grey monsters surely had something to do with this... right? I mean, Alphys disappearing doesn't make sense. The grey monsters don't make sense. That's logical, right?!

Undyne and Sans looked at each other, confused. Toriel stayed by my side, as if trying to protect me. I doubt she could if she tried... though I admit, her performance when that spider girl trapped us was pretty impressive. While Toriel stayed with me, Undyne and Sans quietly tip-toed over to where I'd been pointing. I almost tried to follow them, but Toriel gently guided me away.

They turned the corner. Only seconds later, MK stomped away, looking quite annoyed but also... scared. Sans followed him, and Undyne was in the back, looking... unnerved, to say the least.

"What happened?" I asked, cautiously.

Undyne glanced at Sans, then MK. "We should... probably go back to the house to discuss this."

"We can discuss it out here." I replied simply. I did not want to go to her house, at all. But... Papyrus was there... and maybe it's to avoid the grey monsters overhearing?

Sans sighed. "Well, we found what you were talking about." As he spoke, I saw MK move closer to Undyne, now looking more scared as he processed what happened.

"That grey monster you saw..." MK turned to me. "She died, years ago."

... What? But... she's not broken? Did something else happen to her? So many thoughts flooded my head, I opened my mouth but no words came out. I was very confused. Eventually, I muttered, "Wait, who is... _she_?"

"My older sister... she has a different name, but... she wants to be called Goner Kid... she used to be super into science and all that. But something happened, I was super young and I don't remember all the details..." He shivered. "But somehow, she's back? And all gray-scale like? And..."

Noticing how shaken MK seemed, Undyne continued for him. "Apparently, some guy named... 'Dr. Gaster'... or something like that... can speak through her? It's kind of hard to explain." She coughed. Clearly, she had no idea what happened either. She just didn't want to say that.

... Oh.

 

OH.

This is starting to make more sense! ... In a terrifying sort of way.

"... You said you thought your sister was dead. But now she's come back?" I asked MK. He nodded. "All gray. And Gaster can speak through her... which must've been who I heard when I met her... some time ago."

"You met her before?" MK blinked. "What did she... er... I mean, Gaster say?"

I struggled to remember. So many things to keep track of, so many people, so many words, it was difficult. Focusing on it, I finally began to speak the words aloud. "Have you ever thought about a world where everything is exactly the same... except you don't exist? Everything functions perfectly without you... the thought terrifies me."

MK didn't respond.

"Well... that's what Gaster said. I obviously didn't know it was Gaster at the time though." I sighed. "She's all gray. The other gray monsters... perhaps something similar happened to them? I mean, whatever may have happened with your sister."

"... I think I remember my sister talking about Dr. Gaster when I was very young. She said he 'left' before I was even born."

"What did your sister tell you a few minutes ago? You were talking about something." Sans asked, rather suddenly.

"... She wanted me to help her. She wanted me to... hurt people."

"What?" Undyne asked, seeming alarmed. She'd clearly missed that part of the conversation, but considering that they came back here only seconds after seeing the gray kid, not surprising.

"But she also said to keep the human alive." He added, not directly answering. "She told me many odd things... like... something about other words. Or. Time...lines? I think she called them?"

... Keep me alive? Timelines? Hurt others? Ok, she must have something wrong with her brain. Seriously wrong. But suddenly, I had a thought. Flowey wanted to hurt others... but he never really hurt me much. Sure, I doubt he travels to different worlds or... 'timelines' or whatever, but he does seem to know more than he tells. "Did she say anything about Flowey?" I asked.

"Flowey?" MK tilted his head. "... She said something about a flower. A flower would come to visit me and tell me more."

Oh no.

"What else did she say? Do you remember?" Sans asked gently.

MK looked up at him. "She told me that she was working with Dr. Gaster, that flower, and some... other people she didn't specify... she said she was going to 'fix everything that was broken'... she also whispered, right before she left, that Alphys would surely help her, too."

... Shit.

"Wait, Alphys?" Undyne seemed to stand taller. Without another word, she ran off, presumably in the direction that Goner Kid had run off to.

"Huh?" MK blinked. "Is... Alphys ok?"

Sans looked away. "We hope." He said cheerfully. "We just haven't seen her in a while."

"... Oh! I think Undyne said that Alphys was going to Waterfall with Papyrus!" He smiled innocently. "But we found Papyrus a little hurt. Surely Alphys is nearby! And..." I guess the reality of it set in for him. He stopped talking, as he realized. I realized it too, before he did. Sans knew it, too. If a grey monster, one that is strongly implied to have already died but is now back, says that someone will 'surely help her'... that other monster is likely dead too.

No. That wasn't the answer, and I'd be sure of it.

"There's still hope. She said she was working with Flowey, right?"

"A flower, but Flowey seems about right." MK murmured quietly.

"Flowey isn't dead or anything, right? And, I mean, technically, Goner Kid and the grey monsters aren't really 'dead' since we can still see and talk to them. So Alphys could still be just fine! Maybe... a little... grey-er than usual, but we can still find her."

MK perked up a little, as did Toriel, who'd been silent for nearly the entire conversation. Toriel patted my back, as if proud that I managed to give them hope. I continued, feeling determined.

"And she told you about it. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but you're alive. You're not broken, not one of those gray monsters... but she came to you for help. So maybe she just wants to talk with Alphys. After all, you said your sister was science-y, right? Alphys is a scientist!"

MK managed to smile a bit.

"Though... I wonder what happened that made Papyrus get attacked, and knocked out?" Toriel asked quietly.

MK blinked. "Oh yeah... well... GK said that she was working with others, remember? Maybe someone just... didn't like Papyrus very much? ... Hopefully he'll tell us more when he wakes up."

It was weird, I realized. Here I stood, with Toriel and Sans, my allies, sure, but I still wouldn't trust them alone. Undyne was here, and she didn't hurt me. She was more focused on Alphys. And here was this kid, MK, who'd beaten the shit out of me some time ago, but now we were working together like we were... not pals, for sure, Undyne clearly was merely putting up with me, and MK was only telling me this because he knew I understood what he was talking about. And, perhaps, because we're both close friends with Papyrus.

... Why didn't they kill me yet?

I guess, some part of me was glad that this odd threat, these mysterious greyscale monsters and all that, were around. It made enemies put up with each other to defeat the bigger threat.

... But would MK and Undyne still let me live once we figured it out?

I'd have to kill them before that happens.... I have to strike first. I can't be the second to strike. By then, it's too late. They'll kill me.

 _This is only temporary,_ I told myself, _Keep your guard up. Don't let them strike first._

A silence passed, allowing me time to think these things. It wasn't an... aggressive silence, I guess. It wasn't exactly awkward either. More like... it's hard to explain.

Some time passed, when we heard footsteps. We turned to see, and we found Papyrus limping towards us. My jaw dropped a little. He was hurt more than I thought. Way more. In fact, I was surprised the guy even bothered to move, let alone walk here. It wasn't a far walk from Undyne's house, no, we were basically right beside it. But his injuries made it look like even moving in general hurt. I ran over, followed quickly by Sans, then MK, then Toriel.

"Oh! H...hey guys!" Papyrus forced a grin. "So... Undyne didn't attack, right? ... Frisk looks alive." Papyrus laughed nervously.

"Jeez, what happened to ya?" Sans asked fearfully.

Papyrus shook his head. "I'll tell you in a minute... uh... so where is Undyne? And Alphys? Did they go talk or something?" He asked, in an almost hopeful way.

"So you don't know where Alphys is either." I swore rather harshly under my breath after I said it, which Toriel almost scolded me for, but she soon realized she understood my anger, and let it slide.

"... No? Is she missing?" Papyrus asked. "... Guess I had a feeling."

"Why?" I asked.

Papyrus sat down to explain, likely to give his legs a rest. They weren't broken, but they were cut. "When me and Alphys were walking to Undyne's place, I heard what sounded like children screaming! I, of course, ran over to the weird-looking shed where the voices were coming from, and I tried to open it. As I began to open it, Alphys tried to stop me. I... didn't understand why then, and I still don't exactly understand now... but I ignored her and I used magic to blast open the door. Then... I remember looking into the shed, just for a split second. It was all black, not painted or anything, just... completely in the shadows, no light at all! Then I passed out."

"Wh-" I was almost going to ask about if he understood why Alphys tried to stop, but he gave me a look that said 'hey, not done yet'.

"But when I passed out, I felt like I was... still standing. It didn't feel like I was dreaming. Like, to the point that I'm not 100% sure if I passed out right away. I... don't remember exactly what I saw... but I felt very dizzy and weak. And... tired. And I saw..." Papyrus looked at Sans. "I saw... Dr. Gaster."

Sans blinked. "... You... saw him? ... Is he who we thought he is?"

'Who we thought he is?' So badly did I want to punch the smiley trashbag. Hey, thanks a lot for not telling me who you thought he was! Literally _any_ clue might've avoided this entire situation, but no, you choose not to tell me. Thanks a lot, buddy. I wasn't exactly happy with Papyrus, either. Both of them knew, but didn't tell me.

Papyrus and Sans noticed my anger. Papyrus answered, "Oh! Sorry Frisk, we would have told you but... we weren't sure back then if it was correct. I mean, it didn't make any sense, aside from a... familiar sounding name..."

"... So it is him?" Sans asked.

"Our father? ... Yes." Papyrus' voice quieted.

"... How did you not realize that before?!" I almost shouted. "If you knew his name, well, his last name at least, how did you not know it was your own dad?! That's just kind of important! We probably could've avoided half the confusion if either of you actually told us who we were dealing with!"

Sans quickly shot back a defense. "Hey, we didn't say anything because we didn't want to mislead. After all, why would the grey monsters tell us about someone who's dead?!"

Sans' expression matched mine as we both realized what he just said, and remembered what we figured out about the grey monsters.

"Ooooohhhh." Me and Sans both whispered. MK and Toriel were surprised, but they realized it soon after we did. Papyrus was the only one still confused.

"What?" He asked.

Sans quickly explained. "MK helped us figure out that the grey monsters are... probably dead but not. Sort of like the broken monsters, but different circumstances. I'll explain it in more detail later."

".... Ooooooh." Papyrus' eyesockets widened a little.

"Wait, how did you get injured so badly, then?" I growled. "Did he attack you?"

"... Well... not at first..."

"So he _did_ attack you." Me and Sans both replied. We gave each other a look, then looked back to Papyrus.

"Again, I don't remember everything. I hit my skull pretty hard near the end... but he was trying to tell me something. I couldn't hear him, though. His words were all... distorted and weird! So I tried to get closer, but he attacked me. That's when I _really_ started feeling dizzy and all that... I got scared, so I fought back. I'm sure it was a misunderstanding! We couldn't even hear each other. I know he couldn't hear me, since I yelled at him to stop but he didn't!"

I couldn't help but doubt that Gaster 'didn't hear him'. After all, _apparently_ that's his son. So why would he attack? I accidentally said this out loud, probably due to shock.

"I think he was scared too." Papyrus defended. Sans just scoffed. "Or maybe it was all a dream."

"If it was a dream, how do you have those scars?" I pointed out.

"... I'm not sure." Papyrus finally answered, in a defeated tone. "So... before I passed out, I actually managed to make him stop! But I was so tired... I passed out before I could..."

"Wait, where did Alphys go when this happened?" I asked.

"Alphys...? I remember her running away. But after I managed to convince m- Gaster to stop, I think I remember Gaster... following her? Again, it's hard to say. I hit my head really hard. It hurts."

"Mind if I try to heal it?" Toriel asked, a green-colored magic forming in her paws. "I won't be able to do much... trying to heal as a broken monster is tiring."

Papyrus nodded thankfully. Toriel struck him with some of the magic, and for a second I flinched, but it was clear that even that small amount of magic helped. Most of the smaller scars completely vanished, and Papyrus seemed to be more awake and aware. "Thanks!" He grinned.

Toriel nodded, her eyelids drooping a bit as if it took a ton of energy just to heal the smaller wounds. "No problem." She yawned.

"So... do we follow Undyne?" I asked, a bit unsure of what we should do next, and still a bit ticked off that the skeletons didn't at least _mention_ their little theory about Dr. Gaster until now.

Sans shook his head. "I'll go catch up with her. The rest of you, stay together so nothing happens."

I rolled my eyes. "Sans, last time the whole group stayed together aside from two people, one of those two people went missing, and the other got their ass kicked." I glanced at Papyrus, who glared at me for a moment, but then looked away as if he sort-of understood my concern.

Sans chuckled. "I have my shortcuts, and Undyne's captain of the Royal Guard. We'll be fine."

A short silence passed, but eventually I shrugged. "Fine. But if you get attacked by some creepy skeleton," I paused and added, "and by 'creepy skeleton' I mean Gaster, not you, just to clarify," I snickered, "it's all your fault. Guess we'll wait outside Undyne's house."

Papyrus didn't like my answer at all, I could tell by the look on his face. I don't think he wanted Sans to go either, but Sans was already gone.

I let out a sigh. "C'mon, Papyrus, you need to lay down."

"I can't."

MK looked up at him and smiled. "C'mon, dude! You can't help us out if you're stumbling around like that! I'll lead the way to Undyne's house!"

Papyrus looked back hesitantly, but eventually he began limping towards the house. We didn't say a word to each other on the way back, but MK lead the way back, I walked at Papyrus' side to help steady him, and Toriel stayed patiently behind us, watching our backs constantly.

Sans was already there. Before he could ask, he explained, "We haven't found Alphys or the kid yet, but I'm showing up every now and then to give you guys updates. That way you'll know if something's happening."

I glanced up at Papyrus out of curiosity, and as I suspected, he seemed very relieved to hear this. "Good idea!" He grinned.

Sans nodded. "I'm gonna go check on Undyne again. Y'know, make sure she isn't attacked or somethin'. See ya." Sans waved, then dashed out of sight.

We all sat down by Undyne's house, our backs pressed against the scale-y wall. The house itself looked like some sort of fish. It even had an unnecessary tail, making it look even more like a sea-creature than a house. The door was the fish's teeth, even. Out of boredom, I found myself trying to climb the house, only for Papyrus to use his blue magic to get me down.

None of us talked much, too consumed in our own thoughts to speak. Sans would 'appear' every now and then, seemingly out of nowhere to tell us how it went. It was always the same. Good news, neither of them are hurt. Bad news, haven't found Alphys.

At some point, Papyrus fell asleep again, likely to try and heal himself. Despite Toriel healing the smaller cracks, he still had a lot of open wounds. Toriel fell asleep as well, which was unsurprising considering how tired she was after attempting to heal Papyrus. I didn't plan on sleeping at all, but MK and me made a deal. We'd sleep in shifts, so one of us could always quickly react to any information given to us, and watch out for any problems. I didn't trust the kid at first, not at all. I thought he'd kill me the second I slept. So I made him sleep first, to show that I wouldn't kill him. I had to hope he'd do the same for me, and he did. He actually didn't kill me. Sans eventually came back, saying that Undyne had told him to come back because he kept falling asleep. It took the entire night until Undyne finally came back, looking more defeated than I'd ever seen her in my short time here.

Before I could say anything to her, she fell asleep against the cave wall, one eye still open as if trying to watch for the scientist's return, even as she slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Named this chapter 'Nothing Else Matters', because I thought about how Undyne and Frisk put aside their hate for each other to reach a common goal- to find Alphys. Like, nothing else matters, not even (the human criminal/the captain of the royal guard), nothing else matters aside from finding Alphys and figuring out what happened.
> 
> Also I've got the song 'Nothing Else Matters' stuck in my head and it's kinda fitting for this chapter so


	44. The Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 4 more chapters to go!

_First thing... look for Alphys..._

_...Make sure that Undyne and MK trust... before you look for Alphys..._

_... Build more trust... continue to search..._

 

Three voices said different things, but all said to look for Alphys. I decided to make sure that Undyne, MK and I were all on good terms before we looked for Alphys. But how...

A lightbulb seemed to go off in my mind. That'll work! I'd mix the voice's ideas together. I'd gain Undyne's trust by looking for Alphys, before she even woke up! If Undyne trusted me, MK would surely trust me as well. In fact, I'd have MK help me look for her.

Shaking MK awake, I was met with a low growl. "'s my turn to..." He paused to yawn. "wake up... already?"

"I got an idea." I whispered. "Come with me."

MK sighed loudly. "Do I have to?" He rubbed his eyes with his tail. "I just fell asleep... what's your idea anyways?"

"I can't sleep. So I'm gonna look for Alphys, but I need a backup so I don't get attacked."

MK stared at me blankly. "Even Undyne couldn't find her."

I hesitated, before responding, "Maybe, since I got some rest, I'll find a clue that no one else could. Besides, did you see how Undyne had fallen asleep last night? She kept that one eye open for quite a while, despite all other signs showing that she was asleep. That's how much we need to find her."

MK glanced back at Undyne, then carefully stood up. "Alright. I'll follow you a little ways... but I'll stay close enough so that the others could hear me if I called."

I could tell by his tone, he didn't mean 'called' as in 'calling for backup because I'm being attacked'. He meant 'called' as in 'help me, Frisk is trying to kill me'. I couldn't blame him, though. Yet, it was a little surprising, I expected someone like him to be slightly more optimistic. Then again, it's hard to stay that way when you just had an argument of sorts with your dead sister.

... Thinking that just sent a chill down my spine, and I don't even have siblings. I mean... I don't think I do? I mean, my gang took me away from my parents when I was too young to remember. They didn't kidnap me or anything, I went willingly. They saved me. Anywhere was better than my parents, I know that now. Even though I can't remember exactly _why_ I wanted to go... I remember I was crying and my gang cheered me up. So maybe I do have a sibling? My gang never told me. My gang _did_ tell me that my parents were very mean, though. They'd have to be pretty mean if a gang of killer criminals can call them mean with a look of hatred in their eyes.

For a second, I thought, 'I'll ask them if I have a sibling... or even a dead sibling when I get back to the surface', but when I glanced behind MK to look at my allies, and I thought about how even enemies could work together to find someone they both consider of value to their team... how much I'd changed down here...

...

MK poked my shoulder as I got lost in my thoughts. "Yo? ... Frisk? We going?"

"Yeah, yeah." I nodded, and wandered off. Alright... where to look first? I decided to head back in the direction of Snowdin (but not go all the way there, of course, the garbage dump is in the way), then make my way back the opposite way. I wouldn't leave Waterfall, or really the general area at all. The thought of meeting the same assumed fate as Alphys wasn't exactly appealing, after all.

We walked quietly for a bit, not really talking. We stayed fairly close together for the most part so we could defend ourselves if needed. Despite everything that had been going on, Waterfall actually seemed almost peaceful, even moreso after I got out of the oddly creepy garbage dump.

Am I the only one who finds that garbage dump creepy? There's so many... things there. Bad smells. Human things that I have no idea how they made their way down here. A box for some sort of anime series with what looks to be desperate claw marks over it.... creepy, in my opinion. I didn't stay there long, and I went the other way. We continued to walk, but we found nothing.

Eventually, I sighed. I wasn't going to find Alphys at this rate. But maybe... I could find Flowey. I didn't want to talk to him, but I had a strong feeling he had something to do with this, or at least knew what was going on. Unsure where to start looking for Flowey, I quietly called out to him. MK gave me a weird look, asking what I was doing. I simply replied, "He might have something to do with it." MK tilted his head, but decided not to question me further.

I called out again, the call echoing through the cave. A silence passed, but there was no answer.

Or so I thought.

"Undyne, w-" I heard MK for a split second, before a hand grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me aggressively back. She spun me around, and looked at me, seemingly infuriated.

"Why are you calling for that _flower_ , human?" She hissed. "Are you allies with it?"

Frantically, I shook my head. "N-No! Not at all!"

To my surprise, MK stepped up. "Undyne, no. She was wondering if Flowey had something to do with this, and was calling to see if he'd respond."

"I don't even know where he is, I was just seeing if he could even hear me!" I insisted. Undyne looked hesitant, but slowly let go of my shirt.

Clearing her throat rather awkwardly, she muttered, "... I see."

 _Well you clearly didn't see that before,_ I thought, almost tempted to say it before I bit my tongue. She'd kill me if I spoke back. I'm not the smartest person, but I know that even though I don't like Undyne, she should be respected (or avoided, depending on the situation) if nothing else. She was clearly one of the strongest monsters in the Underground from her rank as the Captain of the Royal Guard. Surely, if this wasn't true, her rank would be challenged.

"... So, I assume you haven't found Alphys yet either? Woke up before you so I decided to have a look myself." I explained. Not even gonna deny it, I was specifically pointing it out to try and earn her trust. Y'know. So she didn't kill me.

MK seemed to relax, possibly because Undyne now no longer looked like she was about to murder something, and walked over to us with a curious look.

Undyne slowly shook her head. "If I were you, I'd head back to the others. You didn't tell anyone you were leaving, so they're freaking out."

"... I... told MK." I weakly defended. She responded with a simple,

"He left too. Which made them even more worried." Casting a glance towards MK's direction, MK bowed his head.

"S-Sorry Undyne!"

I hesitated, but I realized if I told Undyne that he was merely defending me, I could defend MK and he'd likely trust me a bit more. I tried to think of a way this scenario would make things worse, but I couldn't, so I spoke my thoughts. Undyne looked thoughtful, then nodded.

"Alright, let's just get back with the others before they send out a search party." With that, we followed her back to the others.

Once we made it back, the others looked happy.

"Frisk! MK! Where were you two?!" Papyrus asked, leaning against a wall as he pushed himself up. He had a bit of trouble getting up, but he looked much stronger than yesterday. For a second, I was confused by this, but then I remembered healing magic and all that. Of course he'd heal quickly.

"We were lookin' for Alphys!" MK answered, looking up at him.

Undyne let out a sigh. "Still haven't found her."

As the group talked, I began to sort of tune them out. How could we find Alphys? The voices probably didn't know where she was either. I thought in silence for a while, until I got an idea.

The CORE.

The grey monsters talked about how Gaster made the CORE, and how Gaster fell into his creation. And a grey monster wondered if Alphys would end up the same way.

She had to be in the CORE!

I guess I looked pretty excited, because Toriel gave me an odd look. "Everything alright, Frisk?"

As she said this, the others glanced in my direction. Now that everyone was looking, I quickly explained. "Alphys must be in the CORE! The grey monsters that I met, they said that Gaster made the CORE, and they said he fell into his creation. Then, remember the grey monster we saw? Well, you two," I turned to Undyne and MK when I said that, "didn't see him, because you weren't there. Anyways, he asked if Alphys would end up the same way as Gaster! They must be hinting that she's in the CORE!"

Papyrus grinned. "Yes, of course! Well done, Frisk!"

"The CORE, huh? Well... I know from both experience and from hanging out with Alphys that the CORE changes often. After all, from what I've heard, the CORE was actually designed so that the entire layout could be altered." Undyne informed.

I frowned. "How often does it change? It'll be a pain trying to find her if it's constantly changing."

Undyne shook her head. "Well, by 'often' I mean... compared to other structures. Most aren't built for that. The CORE changed quite recently, like, couple of days ago recently, so it probably won't be changing again anytime soon. I think I know the way through, takes some getting used to, but I need to go through the CORE to get to New Home anyways."

"New Home?" I asked.

"It's very close to the King's Castle." Papyrus answered.

I nodded as thanks. "Alright. So, guess it's agreed that we're going to the CORE next?" No one argued, so I took it as a yes. "Let's go, then. We'll take the Hotland elevator straight back to the hotel, then go to the CORE. As for navigating it... well, doesn't exactly matter where we start, because we're looking until we find something. Got it?"

The group all nodded, some showing hopeful smiles or thoughtful looks. Taking that as a sign that we were ready to go, I lead the way back to Hotland. I half-expected Undyne to take over leading the way, but she actually stayed behind, letting me lead the group. I silently wondered why as we walked. Maybe she just decided it wasn't a big enough to deal to start a fight over? Or maybe she wanted to see what I'd do? Either way, I decided to be careful and not waste any time.

Speed-walking into Hotland, I quietly informed the others that I was going to check Alphys' lab one more time. Most of them followed, but to no surprise, she wasn't there. Once we were sure no one was in the lab, we got out of there and headed to the elevators. I realized, as we walked, that I hadn't killed a single monster in Hotland. Sure, Alphys was probably dead, but that wasn't my fault, and she didn't die in Hotland.

I wasn't sure exactly how I felt about that. It was... strange. But I don't think I mind.

As we walked back into the hotel, I guess the staff could tell something was off, especially with Undyne and MK now joining us, and everyone seeming worried. Of course, they wouldn't know why, and I didn't plan on telling them. I started speed-walking towards the doors of the CORE, not really making eye-contact with any of the staff until I heard a quiet voice.

"Have you seen him?"

I turned to face the voice. Papyrus, Undyne and Sans all looked at each other and looked... sympathetic? After seeing who the voice belonged too. Undyne sent a glare in my direction, while Toriel stood quietly and MK just looked confused.

The voice belonged to some sort of ice-bird, with a pink bow-tie. Looking at him, he looked shockingly similar to...

to...

One of the kids I killed back in Snowdin.

"Have you seen him? Have you seen my son?" He asked, a look of desperation in his eyes as he spoke with a shaky voice, "He ran away from home, and I need to patch things up with him. Have you seen him?"

... I was almost going to tell him the truth.

But seeing that look in his eyes made me unable to speak. I glanced back towards Papyrus, ignoring the looks of the other monsters. Papyrus' expression was unclear. I slowly turned my head back to the monster.

Should I just tell him and risk the consequences?

Should I give him false hope so he goes away?

I wasn't sure. But I didn't want to tell him the truth. But how could I lie to him? To tell him his son is alive, when I know damn well I was the one who killed him?

I sighed. I'd have to tell him. Especially with Undyne watching. Sure, it wasn't good for me to announce that I killed him. But Undyne and everyone else (except for maybe MK) would know I was lying. Would the father even believe the lie? ... The son ran away for a reason. Surely the father wouldn't take it... that hard? Right? Then again, what do I know about parents?

"He... uh..." I finally opened my mouth, hesitant. No, I couldn't do it. "I last saw him in Snowdin."

It wasn't exactly a lie. I did last see him in Snowdin.

I couldn't look into the faces of the monsters behind me. I couldn't look at the father of... what was his name again? Oh god, I couldn't even remember the kid's name. How could I tell him? I couldn't.

The father frowned, his expression wavering as he shivered despite the heat of the hotel. "Everyone in Snowdin evacuated, and I still haven't seen him."

"If he ran away in the first place, maybe he doesn't want to talk." I suddenly spat out, quickly running into the CORE. Guilt flooded through me like a flood. There was no good way out of that situation. But I think I screwed it up even worse. But if I told him the truth... I wouldn't be able to deal with it.

No! I had to be strong. To hell with that guy. So what if I killed his kid? He should've thought of that before his kid ran away from home. He was a bad parent. Just like mine were. I wouldn't even kill him. I'd let him live in regret. He should've watched his kid more carefully.

...

I told myself that. But I didn't believe a single word of it.

Feeling the gazes of the other monsters on my back, I turned around once I was sure the father couldn't hear. "What? What the hell was I supposed to do?"

"Tell him!" Papyrus yelled back.

"Well if you're gonna shout at me, you tell him!" I snapped back.

Papyrus growled. "I'm not the one who killed him!"

"Hey, at least I didn't just tell him his own son is dead! Did you see that guy?! I may as well just kill him instead of tell him, it'd hurt less!"

"So... my son is dead?" The father's quiet voice interrupted our argument.

Dammit. He heard. I thought he was far enough away...

The father slid his way through the crowd of monsters to face me. Papyrus backed up, unsure. The look in the father's eye was unclear. I stood tall, preparing for him to strike. My eyes stared directly into his, looking for some sort of sign of when he'd attack.

Time seemed to move slower, as if we'd been staring each other down for hours, the other waiting for the other to strike. For just a second, I looked behind the monster who's son I'd killed.

Toriel was sad.

Sans looked sick.

MK looked sad as well.

Undyne looked enraged.

Papyrus looked.... disappointed.

My attention was flown back to the father as he took a step forward. I prepared to attack...

Until I heard him speak.

"I forgive you."

...

He... smiled. A shiver was sent down my spine. What? This... no, he was trying to get me to lower my defenses! He...

He was serious.

The burnt pan I held tightly in my fists slowly lowered to the ground as I stared back at him, and I felt tears fog my vision.

Why did he forgive me? This was all wrong. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"I... I know you're lying." I muttered weakly, refusing to believe it. "Get out."

The bird shrugged. "Hey... why wouldn't you believe me? The monsters behind me have forgiven you. Well... most of them have, at least. Do you know how I know that?"

I didn't respond.

"They're still here. With you. Remember that."

I was completely speechless. Frozen. Confused. Sad. Guilty. Full of regret.

These monsters... they did forgive me. I wasn't sure about all of them... but this monster who I'd never met before forgave me for killing his own son. Papyrus knew better than anyone else how many monsters I killed, but he was still here. I killed Toriel with my own hands, and she was still here.

I didn't know what do to.

The bird monster pulled me into a hug, and in response, the burnt pan I held so tightly crashed to the ground. I stood there, still shocked and overwhelmed, but I didn't fight.

Papyrus walked forward next, hugging both of us. Then Toriel followed. Then MK, then Sans. Undyne, while she didn't join the hug, did walk closer and offered a look that, at the very least, seemed to say she wouldn't kill me.

After all I'd done. After all the monsters I'd killed. After all the trouble I caused.

This is what they do? Forgive me?

... I knew what I had to do.

I was going to do anything it took to save these monsters from the brokenness I'd caused.

No matter what it costs me.

"... Thank you." I managed to whisper, after what felt like forever.

The monster simply smiled back, and quietly walked back to the hotel. I watched him until he was out of sight.

Now, we'd continue. To save this monsters, the least I could do was find Alphys, and do my best to stop Flowey and those we worked with from doing... whatever it was, exactly, they planned on doing to this place.

So... where should we start?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I was going to call this chapter, "Forgiveness- Can You Imagine?' (a reference to the song It's Quiet Uptown from the musical Hamilton) because of the ending, but I didn't want to spoil anything with the title so I re-named the chapter 'The Idea' as a reference to Frisk's idea to try and find Alphys in the CORE, and Frisk's idea to gain Undyne's trust by looking for Alphys in general.


	45. The CORE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3 chapters left until we're caught up to the DA version! I've also begun writing chapter 49, but it'll likely be a little while before that's finished ^^'

The voices were... quieter, this time. In fact, only one spoke. It seemed unsure, and it was hard to make out what it was saying at first. Though eventually, I heard clearly,

_Best to try searching throughout the CORE together..._

_If that fails..._

_Check the elevator..._

I silently agreed with them. We shouldn't dare to try and split up again, considering what happened last time. Leading the way, I began to explore the CORE, the heat burning around me to the point that I seriously wondered if the CORE was hotter than Hotland, and if it was, how long I'd be able to stay here without collapsing. Yet, I kept going, the words of Snowdrake's father still in my mind.

Wind blew loudly in my ears, making the heat at least somewhat manageable. For some reason, I felt as if I should expect a call from Alphys here. Of course, I reminded myself quickly that she was gone.

But... the phone rang.

"Who is it?" Undyne quickly spoke up, as I answered the phone, putting it on speaker.

At first, there was no noise. I looked back at the others, confused, and they seemed confused as well. None of us spoke, waiting for something, until Undyne got impatient and grabbed the phone, saying, "Hello?"

Just then, we heard something. It was quiet. Hushed. It sounded desperate, like someone locked away, trying not to be heard. The voice was almost drowned out completely by the wind, as it whispered something none of us could understand.

But I knew that was Alphys' voice. I could tell, the others knew, too. I could see it dawn on their faces as her shaky voice tried to whisper something to us. Silent, I tried my best to listen to her.

Before I could hear what she said, the phone hung up.

"She's alive!" Undyne barked. "Or, at least, broken. We need to find her, quickly. She's likely somewhere nearby! Got it?"

"Got it!" The rest of us exclaimed, now following Undyne's lead. As we followed her, we soon saw an elevator. I remembered what the voice told me. We should probably explore the rest of the CORE before trying the elevator. As I looked at the elevator, the phone rang again. I quickly explained to the others that, maybe, Alphys was scared she'd be heard by someone unexpected, watching us on speaker phone, so I'd just listen to her myself. The others reluctantly agreed, as I picked up the phone, and listened again.

This time, I could hear more clearly.

"F...Frisk...? You're not on speaker?" I could barely hear her voice, but I somehow heard that much. My guess seems to have been right.

"Yes." I answered simply, my own voice hushed as I followed the rest of the group seemingly aimlessly around the CORE.

"O-Okay... listen, I..." She hesitated for a while. I'm not sure if she couldn't tell where to start, or maybe was waiting for someone to leave before she continued to talk. "I'm ok, alright? Tell the others that. But be quiet. S-Someone... I think... is following you." I looked behind me, but no one was there. I quietly caught up, whispering, to the others,

"Alphys is ok. She didn't say if she's broken or not, but she's... ok."

"Know where she is?" Undyne asked.

I whispered into the phone, "Where are you? And who is following us?"

"I...I don't know where I am, e-exactly. B-but I'm ok. Don't... try to find me. It... won't help. Won't... work. I'm better off helping you... f-from the phone. Safer... that way. I don't know... who's following you. They won't hurt you. I... I think? But don't listen to a word they say. They'll use me against you." She whispered. She almost continued, saying, "I-" Before suddenly hanging up, like she didn't want to be caught.

"Well?" Undyne looked back at me, as I moved through the small crowd to catch up with her again.

"She doesn't know where she is. But she warned us to not find her... she said that, for some reason, it 'won't work'. Either way, she seems very confident about two things. One, it's safer (somehow) for her to call us and help us that way, other than us trying, and judging by how she was speaking, failing to find her. Two, someone is following us. She's unsure if they'll hurt us... but she did say to not listen to a word they say. Apparently, they're trying to use Alphys against us? At least, that's what it seems. Alphys hung up before I could ask." The other monsters in the group listened carefully to this as well as we walked, our voices all hushed as we continued the conversation.

"Not look for her? Is she crazy?" Papyrus exclaimed, a bit too loud for my liking. I whisper-yelled him to shut up, and he quickly did so, lowering his tone. "We're her friends!" Judging by Undyne and MK's expression, they were about to say the exact same thing. Toriel tilted her head, asking,

"Do you know where Aaron is?"

I shook my head quietly. Toriel frowned, though I... honestly didn't care all that much. He was sort of helpful for a bit, but I wasn't exactly crying over his disappearance. Call me heartless, but I'm used to seeing my allies come and go, especially on the surface.

Undyne stepped back. "... Let's try looking to the right side of the elevator. This seems too maze-like, hopefully we can find whoever the mystery follower on the way back." Quickly, she turned around, and we all followed. Sans seemed deep in thought.

I quietly nudged him. "Sans? Have an idea?"

"... Did she describe where she was?" He asked.

I shook my head. "She didn't really have a chance too. But I think there was someone else there. Maybe more than one person."

Sans nodded. "Ask her about where she is, er, what it looks like, I mean, and who else is there next time. I think I might have an idea... if I'm right, though, it means that we won't be able to see her again very easily."

"Whaddya mean by that?" I grumbled, raising an eyebrow.

"Eh... timelines n' stuff. Hard to explain, kid. I don't know exactly what it is myself, but if she is there... theoretically, I think I might know where she is, and how she got there. I don't know how to get there, though."

"If you know how she got there, why can't we, the same way?" I asked.

"It basically results in... uh... complete removal from the timeline? According to my research?" He coughed nervously.

I frowned, not pleased with the answer. "If she was able to call us, then I consider that answer garbage." Having enough of his 'theories' and no answers, I walked faster to catch up with Papyrus. He seemed very alert, probably looking for whoever was following us.

When we got to the right side, we encountered a dead end. The phone rang again, as I felt something watch us.

"Hello?" I asked quietly. "Is anyone else there with you? What does it look like? Is Aaron there?" I asked, quickly exclaiming several questions as I felt panic grow. Something about this place wasn't right. The others seemed to curious in our quiet conversation to notice the feeling, though Undyne and Papyrus were still clearly on the lookout for whoever following. Sans and Toriel seemed focused on our conversation, though seemed slightly more aware of the feeling as they quietly would glance around at the darkness, as if expecting someone to look back.

"...Dark... very dark. Gaster... w-was here. He left. I'm alone right now. Don't worry about me, I'm not in any danger... I'm staying here. Don't look for me, not yet. Get out of the CORE. Get to New Home, or at least find M-Mettaton. He... can help you. I called him."

"Why do you want to stay there? Do you have to?" I asked.

"It's better for us here. This way, I can easily get information from them. They don't seem to trust me enough to tell me much yet... but I'm gonna change that. So if they say I'm not on your side... then my plan is working, o-ok?"

"Ok." I shivered. "What do you mean by them? Wait, is Aaron there?"

"Aaron..." She sighed. "No, he isn't. I wouldn't count on him coming back, either." She spoke nervously. "I gotta go, I'll call you again soon." With that, she hung up again. Feeling as if someone was pulling me towards the dark pit in the dead end, I found myself looking down.

It felt as if someone stared back at me from the darkness, until Papyrus lead me away, saying we should continue on.

"Update on Alphys," I whispered, "She told us Aaron isn't coming back, I assume he's dust. As for her location... she says that it's very dark, but she's not in any danger. Gaster was there, too, but he left somehow. She wants to stay there, alone, to get information from them, and pretend like she's on their side."

Undyne sighed, clearly saddened by Aaron's loss. Though, she brightened up upon hearing why Alphys wanted to stay there. "Heh, of course Alphys would be the spy of the group! Well... if she really wants to do that... then it wouldn't be good for us to interrupt that until she wants help, or at least expects us to be there. I... don't even know how to get to wherever she is, anyways."

Sans nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. My words seemed to confirm whatever theory he had, or at least change his theory a bit so it'd make more sense to him. Either way, he seemed more relaxed.

"Where do we go now, though?" Papyrus asked.

"She claimed..." I looked behind me, then back at him. "Someone was watching us, but she wasn't sure who. She wants us to find Mettaton, then go to New Home." Though my voice was hushed, I heard a sound, but when I turned my head, it was gone. I hoped I was quiet enough for... whoever that was to not hear. "Let's go, quickly."

Quickly, we rushed back, looking for the exit. Curious, I slowed my pace, and pressed the button to the elevator. Getting no response, I caught up with the others. My head tilted back, I could've sworn I saw someone yet again. But they were already gone.

As we went, we passed several monsters. One monster was floating around, with two magic orb-like things circling around him. He had a wide grin, but most of his head was covered by a witch-like hat. I didn't stick around long enough to tell what exactly he looked like. Another was a monster with a lot of armor on. Undyne managed to calm it down to the point that it looked like it was going to fall asleep as we continued on, and she soon caught up with us. 

We also saw several puzzles. Most were fairly easy, just some switches and lasers. The second puzzle we had to cheat a bit, with Sans simply teleporting everyone who couldn't teleport themselves to the other side when we got to a point where we found several blue lasers sitting stationary, so we couldn't go through.

Oh, yeah. Teleporting. I did NOT like it. After teleporting to the other side, I curled up in a ball and tried not to throw up for a solid three minutes, before I finally calmed down. I don't even get motion sickness, but that? That was something else. That certainly slowed us down a bit, though we made up for it by sprinting through until we found a crossroads. Where were we supposed to go?

The challenge filled me with determination. Determined not to let the group split up, I read the signs by the wall to get an idea. The first, read:

_North, the warrior's path.  
West, the sage's path.  
Any path leads to the end._

The second sign simply read:  
 _East...  
The End._

Unsettled by East, and deciding the warrior's path was much better suited for me, I continued walking North. As we walked, I saw another sign. It read:

_Get lost...  
And stay that way._

"Screw you, too." I grumbled under my breath, continuing North. I found another crossroads, and one more sign:

_Traverse the northern room, and The End will open_

Feeling brave, I, again, continued North, until we were met with a bridge, with several monsters there. The look in their eyes showed that they were willing to fight. Despite this, I didn't dare fight them, especially with Undyne watching. I tried to spare two monsters, one was a small, flying monster that wore armor. The other looked very much like a Froggit. I got attacked mercilessly, as did the others, though with some kind words and some tricks, we survived. I took the most damage, and I resorted to eating some leftover food. Once those two were gone, we encountered two more. Undyne and MK walked over to them, Undyne talking to one of them and MK... staring intensely at the other. Somehow, that worked, and we got through fairly easily.

Then, three more monsters came. It felt like a nightmare, the panic of escaping whoever was following us, the uncertainty of everything, and now three monsters attacking us.

Sans, Papyrus and Toriel all stepped forward. Sans spoke to another one of those small, flying, armored creatures. Toriel comforted the one who's face was constantly changing from a single, wide eye, to two squinted eyes and a taunting grin. Papyrus seemed to show off to the Froggit, until it was happy. With help from the entire team, we got through the bridge. At the end of the bridge, we pressed a button, though I wasn't entirely sure what it did. We headed back, and went down another path. One said,

_To the East!  
This is The End._

The other, read,

_I cannot fight.  
I cannot think.  
But, with patience, I will make my way through._

I continued silently to the East. Until, finally, we saw two doors. One, was a door that lead... to somewhere. The other, was an elevator door. Surely, behind this door was the way to New Home.

"Mettaton must be behind that door." MK tilted his head, quickly going through. We all followed him, and everything went quiet. A monster slowly looked up at us, and it took me a second to realize who it was. Mettaton's block-like body had transformed into... well, this. It was a much more human-like form, though very clearly robotic. He was covered in scratches, like he's just been in a fight. His hair covered half of his face, though with a gloved hand, he sighed and moved his hair, revealing a missing eye and several wires exposed.

"Mettaton! What happened?!" Papyrus exclaimed, several others flinching as they saw Mettaton's wounds.

Slowly, he stood up, shaking a bit. His SOUL was strangely visible and human-like, very pink, too. It shook, uncertainly. I found this unsettling, though I was also confused as to why his SOUL looked like that.

... That was his SOUL, right? I mean, not like I can just stab it and see how it affects him. He's in bad enough shape already.

"AUGH!" He yelled bitterly. "That stupid plant ruined everything!" He cried out. "The cameras, the lighting, my BODY! Even my right eye is gone!" He wailed.

"... Plant." I blinked. Oh, come on! It was Flowey following us, wasn't it?! Or... someone trying to distract us... while Flowey hurt Mettaton? "What did he look like?"

"A golden flower... much like the ones in Alphys' lab. Well, the ones downstairs... you haven't seen them." He shook his head, sighing. "This was supposed to be my last episode, but now look! He destroyed my cameras, and my fans have been waiting so loyally!"

"Flowey." Papyrus sighed.

Mettaton flinched, as if the name rung a bell in his mind, though he only shook his head. "... Any updates on Alphys? She called me earlier today." He murmured, changing the subject.

I shrugged. "Well, she seems quite confident that she's ok and she can defend herself... wherever she is. She didn't seem like she was in any danger for the most part, aside from not wanting anyone to hear her. Did she tell you about that, by the way?"

The robot slowly nodded, seeming tired. "Yes, she did. We talked for quite a while... she wanted me to protect you all, and lead you through the CORE. That plant, however, refused to let me do so..." He sighed. "Though, I noticed something interesting as we fought. That flower... really wanted me dead. He wanted you, Frisk, to stay alive."

"Did he say why?" I asked. Mettaton shook his head.

"It doesn't matter... you need to go to New Home. When I spoke to Alphys, well, I didn't understand everything she said. But Flowey's right. _Alphys_ is right. We need you to stay alive."

"If you, Alphys and Flowey are all on the same team here... y'know, the whole keeping-me-alive thing? Why did you two fight? Why are you still angry with each other? I mean, assuming Flowey is angry as well." I asked.

"We want to keep you alive for different reasons, Frisk. At least, it seems that way. Alphys hasn't gotten enough information yet... but you will be safe in New Home. That's the king's castle, of course. You'd be safe there, until Alphys can figure out exactly what they want." Mettaton looked up at the others. "You all could stay there, I'm sure the king would understand."

"You and I both know Asgore hasn't left the castle since the human came. And none of us have had a chance to tell him about the human. Why wouldn't he just kill her, and break the barrier?" Undyne spoke up.

Mettaton went quiet. "I'm... not sure myself... but if he knows that the royal scientist, the captain of the royal guard, I, the most famous celebrity in the underground-"

"And I, the coolest skeleton!" Papyrus added, much to our amusement.

"Yes, and the coolest skeleton... if we all tell the king not to kill this human... he may listen."

"And if he does not?" Toriel blinked.

This time, MK spoke up. "He has too! You were the queen, once! He'll listen to us if we all agree!"

Despite all of this, I was still a little... confused. I asked, quietly, "Why do you guys want me alive, exactly?" Not wanting to get into all the emotional crap again, I quickly added, "I mean, why does Flowey want me alive? Where do I, a criminal human, fit into this? Like, he's been tormenting me the entire time. First thing he does when he met me? Try and murder me. So why the change of mind?!"

Mettaton let out a sigh. "That's what Alphys is trying to figure out." Hearing a quiet but notable alarm sound, Mettaton looked down, muttering something under his breath. "There goes most of my battery... I better get back to Alphys' lab."

"You'll get attacked again." I commented, raising an eyebrow.

As if on cue, a bright light shone in my eye. I screeched, not expecting it, and covered my eyes until the light was gone. Upon opening my eyes once again, Mettaton had returned to his original form. "Not like this, I won't. Go ahead. Try and hit me."

"Well... if you say so." I shrugged, admittedly a little too eager to kick him as hard as I could. Nothing personal, just... stressed. It felt nice, for a split second, to calm myself down a little... but the immediate change in mood came from the pain shooting through my foot, as I screamed and spat curses, eventually resorting to curling up in a ball until the pain finally went away.

"See? No one will hurt me like this. Now go to New Home. They have some guest rooms there, and Asgore probably will barely even notice you're there! ... If you're quiet. Don't do anything crazy, I got to get this on camera first! And you, Frisk? We _will_ be having a dance battle before the end." Though I couldn't see an expression, I could imagine him grinning. "Knock 'em dead, darling! ... Erm, not literally. Bye!" With that, Mettaton waved us goodbye, and began to roll back to the lab. Trusting he'd be ok, I took a dead breath, slowly letting it out.

"Everyone ready to go?"

Everyone nodded... though Papyrus seemed uncertain. Worried. Despite that, I didn't question him. I knew we were both nervous... but I wasn't going to let that slow either of us down.

Hearing the phone ring, I soon heard Alphys' familiar voice. "H-Hello?"

"Yeah?" I asked. "Any new information?"

"Yes! But first, is Mettaton ok? Is he-"

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "He's alright, don't worry. He just went back to the lab, says his batteries are almost dead or somethin'. He got beat up pretty bad... apparently Flowey attacked him."

"O-Oh no! That's what I was going to tell you about! W-Well... you see, Flowey and Gaster... and several other broken monsters have recently been working together. I haven't had enough time for them to trust me with any more information, but they're working together. I could've sworn I heard them talking about human SOULs, but... I know they want you alive, so I don't think they mean yours... I d-don't know. Just be careful. They were also talking about t-timelines, and-" Hearing the growing panic in her voice, I quietly shushed her.

"Don't worry, Alphys. We'll be alright. If we've survived this far, and if they want to keep my alive, I'm sure all of us will be fine."

"I-If you say so... I gotta go, I'll try and call you guys back soon. B-Bye!" With a click of the phone, she hung up. I placed the phone in my pocket.

"Update!" I announced to the group as we slowly began to walk. "Alphys said that Flowey, Gaster, and other broken monsters are working together. She doesn't know exactly what they're trying to do, yet... they don't trust her with that kind of information yet. But, apparently, she thinks she overheard them talking about human SOULs and timeline stuff. So we'll watch out for... uh, that."

"Hm... human SOULs?" Undyne questioned. "... Perhaps, if we're careful... we can go to the basement. Asgore usually has the human SOULs with him, but I hear they bury the humans in the basement. Or coffins, at least... I've never been down there myself. Maybe we could find a clue as to what they're doing there, without facing the king himself before we can convince him to spare you."

"Shouldn't be that hard." Papyrus grinned. "The king is a big fuzzy pushover! I'm sure the king will be glad to here that, for once, he doesn't have to kill a human."

"... When that human is a murderous criminal who intended to kill not only his ex-wife, but many of his other subjects... I'm not sure he'll be that easy to convince." Undyne sent an accusing glare at me, though turned away, letting out a sigh. "But... you've changed, I guess. If we're lucky, he'll be able to see that, and we can figure out what they want together."

Filled with DETERMINATION, I walked towards the elevator, and went inside. The elevator seemed to take an eternity, to the point I thought it was broken. Undyne, perhaps feeling bad about lowering everyone's hope with the whole reminding-everyone-I'm-a-brutal-killer-for-the-millionth-time, commented that, "I've been on this elevator a million times. Don't worry, it always takes this long. Just use this time to calm yourself a bit or something."

When we exited the elevator, the scene around me felt like a dream. Everything was monochrome, yet oddly beautiful. Looking down, over the path we followed, I could see a huge city. I could see people down there. Despite it's beauty, I could almost feel the uncertainty of the people in the city. Unsure of the outcome. I'm sure I almost would've missed those monsters completely, if they didn't stand out from the grayscale walls.

Quietly, we continued down our path, until we got to a narrower one. Walls of buildings and the somehow protective darkness of the cave covered us, our only goal being the light coming from the end of the path. As we followed, we soon found a big house, at the very end. I realized as soon as I saw it, how similar it looked to Toriel's. I glanced at her face, though it held no warmth. Did she really not care at all about these memories? Wasn't she the queen at one point? Didn't she live here, once?

I wondered why she didn't agree with him. Why she believed monsters shouldn't kill humans. If I were here, I'm sure I'd help the king kill the humans that threatened us.

Then again, I'm no queen. I'm a broke kid who used to be in a gang of criminals, being raised on a 'kill or be killed' mentality, thinking of monsters as nothing but toys and practice targets until they proved me wrong. Turns out, though monsters have proven to be weaker than humans like me... they certainly know how to make you care.

Yet, that thought made it all the more unnerving that Toriel, one of the most loving monsters of the underground, showed no care for the king.

At least Papyrus was staying hopeful, I guess.

We quietly entered the house, and I soon recognized the stairs. It was chained up, with a note attached, reading,

_Howdy! I'm in the garden.  
If you have anything you need to get off your chest, please don't hesitate to come.  
The keys are in the kitchen and the hallway._

"Why does he have this chained up if he tells us where the keys are, anyways?" I asked. "Not only that, he's basically inviting us to roam around his house just to find these keys." I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. I'm gonna look for a place to rest, first." There was something else I noticed about that letter. _Howdy_. It was a simple word, though for some reason, it caught my attention. Didn't Flowey greet me with that line? ... Perhaps Flowey and the king are closer than I thought. I desperately hoped I was looking too far into this, and they aren't working together.

Yet, that seemed painfully likely. While everything but us in the house was monochrome, there was one thing that stood out.

Golden flowers in every room.

First, I went to go into the kitchen.

When I heard a voice whisper to me,

"A long time ago, a human fell into the RUINS. Injured by it's fall, the human called out for help."

The voice... why did it sound so familiar? The voice sent a shiver down my spine, which the others seemed to notice.

"You ok, kid?" Sans asked. Did they not hear it? Surely, then, it was the voices speaking to me. But why, then, did this not... _feel_ like the voices? It felt different. So much more clear. So welcoming. So happy. So... determined.

I slowly nodded, as I continued onto the kitchen. Maybe I was wrong? Either way, it seemed like it was telling me a story. I saw a note on the kitchen, saying we could take whatever we needed. The stove seemed very clean. Maybe he used fire magic instead. In the garbage, I realized he was hiding recipes for butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I looked up at Toriel, with a childish grin on my face. Her cold look soon changed to a more gentle one, as she opened the fridge. "I'll be right here, if you need me."

"Oh, I can help!" Undyne exclaimed. "Papyrus?"

Papyrus shook his head. "I'll stay with Frisk, for now."

"Ah, alright. Join us when you're done looking around the house, got it, punk?" Undyne tilted her head.

Papyrus nodded, grinning. "Yes sir!" As we continued off into the hallway, I noticed that MK and Sans decided to stay behind, leaving only me and Papyrus. Before we left, I grabbed the key and attached it to my phone's old key-chain.

Again, the mysterious voice whispered to me, "Asriel, the king's son, heard the human's call. He brought the human back to the castle."

We continued silently down the hall as I continued to listen, "Over time, Asriel and the human became like siblings. The King and Queen treated the human child as their own. The underground was full of hope."

I collected the key, sitting on a small table in the hallway. As I stared into the mirror at the end of the hall, I swore there was someone behind me, until Papyrus came to stand beside me, giving me an optimistic, encouraging look.

Despite everything, the kid looking back in the mirror was still me.

I slipped into another room. Upon realizing it was the king's room, Papyrus encouraged me to get out. I decided it'd be best to.

The room that was Toriel's back in the RUINS version of this home, had a sign over it, reading,

_Room Under Renovations_

Under the gaze of the golden flowers lining the hallway, I entered the final room in the hallway, closest to the stairs.

The room looked like the room of twin children. Near the bed, were several, dusty toys. On the wall was a drawing of a golden flower. In the closet, I saw several striped sweaters.

Finally, I saw a family photograph. Everyone was smiling.

I didn't recognize a single person, aside from Toriel. Guess that was her family... was that what the voice had been telling me about? The story didn't seem done yet.

On the ground, were two presents. I looked up at Papyrus questioningly, as if wondering if he was gonna stop me. He sighed, saying,

"The king never uses this room any more..."

I took that as a 'I'm not saying you can open the presets, but I'm not saying no so do what you want' kind of thing. So, I did what I wanted, and opened the presents.

In the first present, there was a dagger. It looked worn and stained from use. I wondered quietly what it was used for. _Perfect for cutting plants and vines,_ I thought to myself, realizing I could use this as defense. But... how would the others react to me taking this? Would I really want to use it, after everything? Maybe to defend my friends, I'd use it anyways.

In the last box, there was a heart-shaped locket. As I held it in my hands, it felt like it belonged there. I could've sworn I felt the heart beat a few times, but I felt myself getting lost in the beauty of the locket. It seemed... safe. It felt like I was supposed to have this. Yet... why do I feel like this doesn't belong to me? Why do I not want to steal such a beautiful thing?

I stood up, looking at Papyrus curiously, looking for some sort of reaction. When I didn't get one, I asked aloud, "Should I take these? No one's usin' 'em anyways."

Papyrus slowly shrugged. "They suit you... but I still don't know... didn't these belong to someone, once?"

"That someone is probably dead." I countered.

Papyrus tilted his head. "I'm sorry, but for once, the Great Papyrus isn't sure. Maybe ask the voices, this time?"

That seemed like a good idea right about now.


	46. The Story of the Fallen Prince and the Fallen Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2 Chapters left until caught up with the DA version.

_Even though stealing is wrong..._

_I believe they are meant for you, Frisk..._

_Take 'em... you'll need them..._

_Take both of them..._

_Take care of your friends..._

_Stay safe..._

_Stay determined..._

_There's no label on them.... don't necessarily belong to anyone... shhh...._

With a small chuckle, I realized the voices were making it very clear I should take them. I visibly smiled at the response I got, filled with determination as I placed the heart locket around my neck, and placed the dagger carefully into a pocket, my hand resting on it, ready to pull it out to defend both myself and my friends. It felt so right, so natural. The knife, I understood. I'd used a knife many times before, and this dagger would certainly be convenient. The heart locket, though... I'm not exactly sure why it felt natural, it just did. It comforted me, as if I'd went from defenseless in a chaotic battlefield to a suit of armor against my opponents. Or maybe it was the voices that made me feel that way. Determined.

Slowly, I stood up, turning around to face Papyrus. "How do I look?" I chuckled, grinning. Not sure why I was asking for fashion advice from a guy that wore something suitable for a costume party everywhere he went, but hey. Realizing this, I quietly added, "I'm gonna go look in the mirror out there, first, actually."

Papyrus smiled and nodded, following me as I went back to look in the mirror at the end of the hallway. Gazing at myself in the mirror for a moment, the heart locket almost seemed to glow. Yet... something was... off about it. It felt so natural, but seeing the heart locket on made me feel uncertain, for a reason I'm not quite sure of.

"You can see your reflection in a mirror... but... don't let a shard of glass determine your self-worth, alright?" Papyrus pulled me into a hug, maybe noticing my uncertain expression. I tried to hold back a smile, but failed.

"Hey, punks, you finished exploring yet?" Undyne's loud voice boomed from the kitchen, echoing loudly in the halls. "Toriel's teaching us how to bake!"

"Coming!" We both called back, quickly running to the kitchen, excited to take a break and bake together as a group. As we passed the dining room, we realized Sans had somehow fallen asleep already, his head resting on the kitchen table, his fluffy hoodie covering most of his skull. Papyrus quickly retreated back to the room we'd been in before. When he came back, he placed a fluffy blanket around Sans.

"He's already got a jacket?" I blinked. "And he's a skeleton. And this place isn't really cold. Better than the CORE and Hotland, but it's not cold. Why does he need a blanket?" I asked.

Papyrus shrugged. "It's more of a comfort thing, actually."

"Oh." I blinked, following him into the kitchen. I didn't really do much- most of it was just watching my friends throw around sugar and flour until Toriel scolded them for messing up the kitchen. Undyne and Papyrus both seemed pretty amazed at how Toriel used her fire magic to cook the pie. As I watched, I found myself... actually looking around. Thinking about the journey.

Despite the fact that we were in the king's house... it didn't _feel_ like a king's house. I didn't feel the need to hide. I didn't feel the need to run, either- something I've been doing nearly all my life. It was both weird and calming that everyone seemed to... temporarily forget the troubles we were currently facing. They were all laughing. Relaxed. Just... cooking some food and joking with one another. The house itself was pleasantly warm, not at all cold, but not overbearingly hot like in the CORE or Hotlands.

It felt... peaceful.

Eventually, when the pie was done, the pie was cut up evenly and we each got a slice. Despite wanting to eat alongside the others, I ended up putting the pie into a small container, trying to save it for later, just in case I needed it. Thankfully, the pie was cut in such a way that there was one slice left over anyways, so Toriel convinced me to eat that.

When we got back to the dining room, Sans had finally woken up. Just like when we slept at the lab, Sans had wrapped the blankets protectively around himself, making him look, once again, like a very comfy burrito.

I guess I was smiling, because Undyne asked, "What's with the grin, punk?"

I shrugged, finding myself laughing a bit at myself, making such a big deal about a house and pie. "I'm just... content, I dunno." Despite my vague answer, I was still smiling. As I finished my slice of pie, I smiled even more as I felt stronger, my energy quickly coming back. Despite the energy, I realized I should probably rest. After all, it was time to face the king.

Tomorrow. Not today.

Slowly, I stood up, now feeling a little awkward on how to act. There were different 'rules' to eating in a house than just having a snack on the street, wasn't there? Deciding it wasn't worth feeling awkward about, I eventually just walked to the kitchen silently, placing a dish on the counter, and returning to the others. "'M gonna go to sleep, I think." I announced, upon returning. "The king will still be there tomorrow, won't he?"

The others nodded.

"A nap sounds great." If Sans wasn't constantly smiling, I would've said he grinned at the thought of sleep.

"Of course a nap sounds great to you, lazybones!" Papyrus teased. He didn't seem tired at all.

Undyne shrugged. "We probably should go to sleep. It's still pretty early, but we need to wake up early anyways. Big day tomorrow, y'know? I mean, I talk to the king all the time, but you punks are gonna be shaking in your boots!" Undyne snickered.

"Pfff, no we won't!" Papyrus retorted. "I, the great Papyrus, am aware the king is a big fuzzy pushover! This'll be easy!"

I couldn't tell if Papyrus had actually encouraged the others, or if they just didn't have the heart to correct him and say this wouldn't be easy. I'm not sure which one of those two I was. Maybe a bit of both.

Each of us found different places to sleep. Sans seemed content not moving, quite comfortable in his blanket shelter. Papyrus... well, didn't want to sleep (probably couldn't have, even if he wanted to), so he fled to the kitchen to clean. Toriel quietly walked into the room that said it was under renovations, and closed the door behind her. No light turned on from inside the room, making it look like no one had entered the room at all. Undyne ended up falling asleep on the large chair, nearly as big as a throne. It seemed quite comfy, as she was out pretty quickly. Then again, she didn't have much sleep the past few days.

I found myself returning to the room I'd been in before, where I got the heart locket and dagger. Quietly, I tucked myself into one of the beds, and managed to fall asleep at least somewhat quickly.

Upon waking up, the house was dead silent. I carefully slid away the comforting nest, and tip-toed out. I couldn't seem to wait. I needed to hear more of what that strange voice was telling me, the story of the fallen human. And... it wouldn't hurt to take a quick peak of the basement, right?

After all, it'd be harder to listen to the story if the others were with me.

Not wanting the others to know I was gone, I simply jumped over the chain 'blocking' the stairs, and carefully made my way down.

As soon as I made my way down the stairs, I heard that voice again. Just like the last time, it sounded different than the 'voices'. This was a different voice. It _felt_ different. "Then... one day... that human became fatally wounded. The dying human had just one request. Though she could not speak, due to her injuries, her best friend remembered something she said to him the day before. Should she ever be dying, her final wish was to see the flowers from her village. But there was nothing they could do."

... They? I wondered, silently, who 'they' was. The fallen human's family, maybe? ... The king's son, Asriel? I found that interesting. I wanted to ask Toriel if she ever had a son, and if that son was still alive, but... how would I explain why I wanted to know that? How would I explain how this voice was different? I decided to keep moving. If he was the king's son, I'd find out about him sooner or later... whoever that may be. I wondered with a chuckle if I'd already seen him before, but just didn't pay any attention to him, whether because I was busy attacking or running from something.

"Soon after acquiring those injuries... that human died. Asriel absorbed the dead human's soul, determined to fulfill her request. To take her to her village. The human soul in a monster body created a being with unimaginable power. He could do anything he wanted. But... that wasn't truly what the human wanted. The human wanted to free the monsters."

I was... confused. What did the voice mean by that?

"Asriel crossed the barrier, holding the fallen human's body. He followed the sunset, until he found the human's village. He reached the center of the village. There, he found a bed of golden flowers. He placed the corpse, gently, onto the flowers, just as she'd wished."

Golden... flowers. Why had the human wanted to see golden flowers? ... Did the fallen human... know Flowey? Why else would the voice specify that the flowers were golden?

I kept walking as I listened. As I listened, I looked down into a large, monochrome city, which I looked down on, watching curiously at all the little monsters that lived down there. From this height, they looked almost like ants. "As expected, screams rang out. The villagers saw Asriel holding the fallen child's body. They assumed that he had killed the child." The voice held a bitter tone as it explained this.

I felt a chill go down my spine. "The humans attacked him with everything they had. He was struck, blow after blow. Asriel had the power to destroy them all. He should've destroyed them all. Yet... Asriel refused to fight back."

"Frisk?"

I jumped, surprised to see anyone else down here. Papyrus placed a gloved hand on my shoulder. "What are you doing down here? You should go back with the others."

"Why are _you_ down here?" I countered quickly.

Papyrus shook his head. "I followed you, I heard you jump over the chain blocking the stairs. You really shouldn't be down here. Not alone."

"... The voices are here." I slowly replied, not knowing how to explain that I was hearing a... different voice. Eventually, I decided to try and explain anyways. "And... something else."

"What do you mean?" Papyrus asked, attempting to subtly guide me back upstairs. Yet, I stayed put, not following him even as he tried to gently push me along.

"It's... like a voice, but it sounds... different? It was telling me a story. It sounded important." I attempted to explain. "I knew it'd be hard to focus on the story if I wasn't alone so... I came here. To prove it, I can't hear the voice now."

Papyrus sighed. "Maybe that's because we're both talking. If we stand here, quietly, won't the voice continue to tell the story?" He asked.

I shook my head. "If it did, I'd still be in my room listening to it. It only continues if I keep going."

Papyrus glanced over his shoulder, as if half-expecting someone to be watching the conversation. He was silent for quite a while, before finally murmuring, "As long as I can hear the story too. What happened so far?" He asked.

For a second, I was unsure if the voice wanted me to tell him. Though, eventually reasoning that if the voice was truly against it, they'd say something, I began to tell him the same story the voice told me. How a fallen child had grown up with a monster family, though when she died, her best friend took her to the surface, and placed her on a bed of golden flowers. How the humans attacked him, but he didn't fight back. Finally, I explained the story wasn't finished yet, and that's all I knew.

Papyrus gave a thoughtful look, before nodding, and walking alongside me as we waited for the voice to continue. As it spoke again, I could tell, Papyrus couldn't hear a thing it said.

"Still holding the corpse, Asriel smiled, and walked away. As he fled, a human mage placed a curse on him and the fallen child. Fatally wounded, Asriel stumbled home. Upon entering the castle, he collapsed. His dust spread across the garden, a garden of golden flowers."

Just then, I had a thought. Or maybe a realization. "Papyrus?" I quickly turned to him. "What happens after a monster turns to dust? ... What if the dust lands on something in particular?"

Papyrus blinked. "Well, usually, monsters don't become 'broken'. In fact, no one knows very much about that. When I was a kid, there used to be a folktale where, if a determined human came to the underground, monsters that had died in specific ways, like, for example, being killed by a human with less determination, would come back. I guess that was true... but, when a monster doesn't become broken, they turn to dust. Their dust is often spread on their favorite thing, so they may live on in that thing."

"... Would that also count for flowers?" I asked.

"Why?" Papyrus tilted his head. I would say it's rather obvious, though then again, he wasn't hearing the story directly. I shook my head.

"Tell you later. Thanks." I kept walking.

"The kingdom fell into despair. The human's plan had failed. The king and queen lost two children that night, on a wasted effort. The humans, once again, took everything from the monsters. The king decided it was time to end his kingdom's suffering. Every human who falls down here must die. With enough souls, the king could fulfill the fallen human's original plan- he could shatter the barrier forever." The voice paused, to chuckle. "He's taking his sweet time with it. But now, you... you've fallen. You're the one who fulfilled that curse, once again."

Once again? What? My mind drifted back to that prophecy I heard back in Waterfall... a prophecy. A 'cursed one', the one who'd seen the surface, would return to break the underground. Quite literally. That prophecy meant me... didn't it?

"The king doesn't want to let his kingdom suffer again. King Asgore will let them go."

A distored voice echoed behind the voice as they spoke the next line,

"King Asgore will give them hope."

One more voice joined.

"King Asgore will save us all."

As quickly as those two other voices came, they left once again, leaving only the original voice telling me the story.

"The monsters around you... they all are waiting to be free. But you want to live. I know away to let both of those things happen. I know a way for everyone to be alive. For everyone to be happy. For everyone, even you, a killer, to be free." They claimed. My footsteps slowed.

"Are you ok?" Papyrus asked curiously. I slowly nodded. I had to keep going. I had to find out what they meant.

"You feel guilty, don't you? I know a way to go back. You're going to be free." They whispered.

I began to speed up a bit, until Papyrus grabbed my arm. I looked up, seeing a room of all gold. Light shone through the windows, making the room glow.

"You will not be judged." The voice whispered. I felt as if they were right behind me as they said that. But, as I looked, there was nothing, and the feeling was gone.

"We can't go past this point, yet. Is the story done?" Papyrus asked.

"There's one more thing I need to know." I insisted, trying to pull away, though Papyrus pulled back. I growled back at him, "Let me go."

Papyrus sighed. "Frisk, please... past this room is the king's throne."

"Where do they keep the souls, then? Isn't that what we're trying to find?" I retorted.

"... In the basement. Right beside the king's throne." Papyrus sighed, looking worried. "Just wait until morning, alright? Let us go with you. In the meantime, explain what the voice told you. Maybe telling the story to me will give you time to really think about it, right? Whoever told you that story must've been telling you an important one, especially considering what you told me. Also, we should call Alphys first. Maybe she'll know what who told you that!" He smiled.

Looking back into the gold room, I stared quietly at it, the voice's words ringing in my head.

Until, finally, I slowly let Papyrus lead me back upstairs, back into the comfort of the warm house.

As I looked back into the basement, for just a moment, I saw the golden petals of a fallen prince.


	47. New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1 chapter left until this is caught up woooooo
> 
> And I'll probably be making a new DA account soon :P If I do I'll leave a link a couple chapters from now I guess

_I would suggest... Frisk tell Papyrus first..._

_Think it over first..._

_Tell everyone..._

_They've been with you a long way... they have the right to know..._

_Tell Papyrus... once he knows... Frisk and him can figure out a way to tell the others..._

Many voices spoke, which comforted me quite a bit. Quietly, I listened to what they each had to say. It seemed like most of the voices wanted me to tell Papyrus everything first. Then... as much as I dreaded it, I'd tell the others too.

Hopefully the voices are right, and Papyrus will help me figure out how to tell the others. Because I have no idea.

The warm of upstairs hit me as we both passed the chains that were meant to block us from entering the basement. Papyrus merely stepped over them, though I quietly hopped over. Wordlessly, we both walked to my temporary room, away from the others.

"So... the story?" Papyrus asked. "Please, Frisk, tell me everything you can. I... I can help!"

Taking a deep breath, maybe to mentally prepare myself, I began to speak. "I'll start... from the beginning, I guess?" I shrugged. "I first heard that strange voice when we entered this house, when I was first heading to the kitchen. I continued to hear it as I explored the house." I began. I continued to tell him everything the voice told me, in a little more detail than I'd told him before. Finally, I got to the part of what the voice continued to tell me when me and Papyrus walked through the basement. I told him everything I could. How Asriel brought the dead human to the surface. How he was attacked by monsters, and cursed by a mage. How he didn't fight back as he ran away, and collapsed on a bed of golden flowers. I also told him how that was when I asked him about what happens when monsters die. I told him how the voice said the fallen human was trying to free monsters.

Then, I told him how I... fulfilled that curse. That prophecy I heard in Waterfall. How the voice was joined by more voices as they said that King Asgore will give them hope. How he'll 'let them go'. I told him how all monsters, including him, must want to be free, which he didn't argue against.

Finally, shakily, I told him how the voice claimed they knew a way for monsters to be free. For me to stay alive. For everyone to be happy, for everyone to be saved. How the voice said they knew a way to go back, to seemingly rewind everything that consumed me with guilt.

How, when I saw that golden hallway, the voice said I wouldn't be judged.

Papyrus was quiet nearly the entire time, listening carefully. But now, the silence seemed to mean something else.

When he finally spoke, he spoke very quietly, to not alert anyone else in the house.

"The hallway you saw... that's called the Last Corridor. Or, to some, Judgement Hall."

"Both of those sound... ominous. Why is it called... uh, we'll start with Last Corridor first. Seems simpler to explain."

Papyrus nodded. "Yes, easier to explain. The Last Corridor is called that because... well, it's the last corridor before the king's throne, and after that, the barrier. And... for the few humans that have made it there so far, it was the last corridor they walked through." Papyrus sighed, then perked up. "That won't be the same in your case, though! I'm sure of it!"

I nodded slowly, flinching slightly from his loud and determined voice in the middle of the quiet night. Realizing he probably woke someone up, I quickly shushed him, before continuing, "So... why is it called Judgement Hall?"

"... Well, when a human makes it to New Home... then they're safe until they get to the king's throne. Before the king's throne is Judgement Hall where... someone will stand." His voice, thankfully, was quieter this time, to not wake anyone up.

"Who? Do you know him?" I asked.

"Yes, the great Papyrus knows 'the judge'!" He grinned, seeming proud of himself for knowing him, whoever he was. "But... who he is, we'll get to that in a bit. I don't want you to jump to conclusions, so let me explain." I was about to argue, but he continued to speak, "Anyways, the judge will be there, and remind the human about what they have... or haven't done on their journey. Then, they'll give that human advice. The judge can see the amount of EXP and LOVE a human has."

"EXP? LOVE? Uh, remind me?" I blinked.

"It's basically how much violence a human has done. He'll judge them accordingly. If a human has caused too much trouble, the judge will protect our king and fight the human. He's never had to do this before, and he won't with you, either."

"How do you know?" I asked. "Have you talked to him about it?"

Papyrus shrugged. "I just know, trust me. You've changed! He wouldn't attack you."

I let out a low sigh. "Well... as long as you're sure. But you'd think I've caused 'too much trouble' by now."

The tall skeleton shook his head. "You're judged on who you are when you enter Judgement Hall, not on who you were when you first entered the underground. Sure, those things haven't been erased, you still did those things, and he will comment on it. But you've shown that you can change."

I smiled, a bit relieved. I still wasn't the greatest person, but... I've gotten better at not killing people. I just hoped that Papyrus was right, and that would be enough.

"... So... how do we go about telling all this to, I dunno, everyone else?" I quietly asked, remembering the voices wanted me to tell the others as well. I tried to think it out in my head, picturing the reactions of everyone else... remembering how they all acted last night...

When suddenly, it dawned on me.

When I was seeing where everyone chose to sleep last night, I never saw where MK was.

"Papyrus?" I tilted my head up to look at him. "Did you see MK after I went to bed, last night? I was just thinking how everyone might react to this... new 'voice', when I realized I didn't see where MK was after I saw him in the kitchen."

Papyrus' eyesockets widened. "... I just sort of assumed he went to sleep in one of the rooms... I'll go check, just in case." A bit concerned, the tall skeleton quickly left the room to search for his friend. I waited by the door, watching carefully as he checked in each room. No MK.

I guess Sans heard Papyrus wandering around, as I heard him quietly ask, "Papyrus? What are you looking for?"

"MK." Papyrus whispered back to him, "Have you seen him? I haven't since we ate."

Sans slowly shook his head. "I was the first to fall asleep, I think." He admitted, "I haven't seen him. I assumed he just went into one of the rooms? He seemed fine while eating."

Noticing the growing concern, I quickly added, "It wasn't like I was searching for him, I was just seeing where people were sleeping. He probably just slipped into one of the rooms, like Toriel did. No need to cause a huge fuss over this, it's still the middle of the night, and the others need to sleep. We all need to sleep, I think."

Papyrus shook his head, and I couldn't help but chuckle. "You don't count."

Sans emitted a yawn, something I wasn't aware a skeleton could do, before sliding off the table, blankets still wrapped around him for the most part as he clung onto them. "I can help you look, just in case. We'll just quickly look around... we'll find him quickly, I'm sure."

Papyrus nodded. "I'll check outside, just in case. I doubt he'll be there, but... just in case."

I shrugged, murmuring, "I'll help look around the house." Normally, I would've insisted it wasn't much of a problem, but... considering everything that had happened, and the fact I needed everyone here to tell them the story, I wanted to find him as soon as possible.

Everyone split up, Sans quickly moving into the rooms to check once again, just in case Papyrus missed something. Papyrus headed out the door to make sure MK wasn't outside.

That's when I remembered something. When MK was explaining what Goner Kid was saying to him... I asked him about Flowey. MK said that Goner Kid told him a flower would come to visit him.

I saw Flowey in the basement earlier.

Reasoning that the basement was still 'part of the house', I wasn't exactly lying when I quickly slipped back into the basement, silent and focused on my destination. My speed grew gradually as I went further and further away from the rest of the house.

That's when I saw that golden corridor again. The words of that voice slipped back into my mind.

_You will not be judged._

I glanced behind me, wondering where the judge was. Surely, he wouldn't be up at this time. Not seeing anyone in the hallway, my pace slowed as I stepped cautiously in.

Light shone in from the windows, making the room appear to glow as I walked through. I could hear the sound of birds chirping, yet I didn't feel at peace.

I needed to find Flowey.

Quickly, I made my way through the Last Corridor. I needed to hurry, I realized. Sans and Papyrus would figure out I was gone quickly. Trying to be quiet, I quickly found my way to the steps of the basement.

Looking down, my eyes landed on Flowey talking with an annoyed-looking MK. He looked exhausted- as if he'd been through hours of whatever Flowey was talking about.

"Howdy, Frisk!" Flowey smiled up at me. MK looked relieved, yet somehow scared at the same time.

I didn't reply to Flowey as I quickly made my way down the steps, focused on MK. I almost just asked why he was down here, but... he looked so tired, I feared it might sound too accusing. Instead, I looked around the room, very quickly noticing the coffins beside us.

Now felt like a good time to leave the room and get back to the others.

"Hate to say it, weed, but we gotta go. Turns out, neither me or the others appreciate having someone in the group being basically missing, and talking to a flower beside a bunch of coffins. So." I grumbled at him. MK moved closer to the steps, seeming eager to leave. Not waiting for a response, I turned, practically pushing MK back up the steps.

A vine carefully made it's way around one of my feet. "Hey, friend, I just want to talk for a little bit!"

MK didn't even look back, tiredly murmuring, "Forget it, Flowey. I can tell her."

"Did I say I was going to repeat exactly what I told you to her, without changing anything?" Flowey questioned. "Now that would just be silly! I'd just get you to tell her, in that case! Let Frisk and I talk for a bit!"

Annoyed, I used one of my feet to kick the vine around the other. It quickly retreated. I looked back at Flowey, and he faked sadness. "C'mon, Frisk! I'm trying to help you!"

I didn't trust him in the slightest. Not only that, the fake sadness unnerved me to the point that I grabbed the worn dagger from my pocket, just in case.

Seeing this, the flower let out a sigh, murmuring, "Let me just tell you this, then: Don't kill the king, alright? You'll have to fight back, of course. But don't kill him." With those strange instructions, he dove into the ground. I waited, but he didn't return.

Knew that dagger would come in handy. Silently, I thanked the voices for encouraging me to take it. I carefully put it away, and followed MK back. We walked silently, side by side for a while, until I eventually asked, "What did he say, anyways?"

MK shook his head. "Trying to encourage me to hurt people... timelines... same garbage I was told by... y'know." He looked away. I knew he was talking about Goner Kid. "He said..." MK shook his head. "Sorry, I'm so tired... I can hardly even remember what he was rambling about. All of it was very confusing... he said that there was a mistake. A terrible mistake. I think he said something about this timeline deserving to be destroyed or something, but... honestly I was so confused and... and scared... that I could hardly process it. He said that you needed something... like... what was it, it was like strength... oh, yeah, it was determination! But he spoke of it like it was an actual, like, physical thing?"

I tilted my head. "... Do you remember why he wanted you to hurt people?" I asked. "... Did he say anything about hurting me?"

"He says it'll make... fixing... or changing this timeline easier, or something? He said..." The young monster struggled to think. I could tell it pained him, to try and remember all of the things Flowey said. In his exhausted state, I was slightly surprised he was walking in a straight line. Or walking at all, really.

I sighed. "We need to get back to the others. Tell me in the morning, alright? You're exhausted, and you can barely even speak clearly. I'm just... glad we got that whole situation sorted out."

The armless monster smiled. "Thanks, Frisk."

The rest of the trip was silent, until we finally got back up the stairs.

"Frisk!" Papyrus almost shouted, though thankfully remembered to keep his voice down. "MK?"

"I know I wasn't supposed to be down there, but..." As panic grew, I realized I was probably gonna get in trouble for going down there again, but MK quickly backed me up.

Pointing with his tail, MK quickly spoke up, saying, "Flowey lead me downstairs, and Frisk kinda saved me." MK chuckled. "He wasn't attacking me or anything, but still."

The skeleton monster hesitated, then slowly nodded in understanding. Realizing his young friend was almost too tired to stand, he picked him up, and walked into the room I was sleeping in before. He placed him on the bed on the opposite side of the room. The armless kid fell asleep as soon as he hit the pillow.

"... So, what happened down there, kid?" Sans asked, walking towards me once Papyrus had left the room to approach me as well. He seemed to have the same question.

I shrugged. "I haven't got much information at the moment, MK will tell me in the morning. I went downstairs to check, and I found Flowey talking to MK. MK looked like he'd been through hours of whatever Flowey was ranting about, he looked like he wanted to fall asleep, then and there. I managed to scare Flowey off for now, I think... that worn dagger came in handy." I chuckled, mostly to myself. "But before he left, Flowey said... I shouldn't kill the king? I don't know why... like, I don't want to kill anyone, but I don't want to take any of Flowey's advice either. Especially considering all the golden flowers in Asgore's house. Those two are definitely working together..."

Papyrus shook his head. "I know you don't want to listen to Flowey, but please do, in this particular case! ... I'm sure that's what Flowey wants you to think. I think Flowey knows that you'll be afraid to listen to him... I think Flowey actually does want you to hurt the king."

I looked up at him, smiling, a bit relieved. "That... makes a lot of sense, actually." I realized I shouldn't bother mentioning details MK mentioned to me now. It'll only worry them, as I didn't have all the details. I decided I'd tell them when I'd tell the rest of the crew about the voice, the story, and all that.

Now with a plan, I sighed. "Well, we should probably go back to sleep for as long as we can. It's still the middle of the night. We'll figure it all out in the morning."

The shorter of the two skeletons seemed to like the idea, as he returned to the table, once again hiding in his hoodie and wrapping himself in blankets.

Thankfully, he fell asleep quite quickly, leaving the house quiet once again.

Now too alert to go back to sleep, me and Papyrus both found ourselves simply sitting quietly against the wall, with little to do. It was a peaceful, calm silence, a gentle breeze throughout the cool house. Yet, thankfully, not really cold. Just a pleasant, soft wind, like the ones I used to feel at dusk in fall. The room itself was so silent you could hear a pin drop, but everything was ok.

A calm before the storm.

We simply sat there for what seemed like ages, until dawn eventually came.

At some point, I'd fallen asleep, my head against the wall and my arms wrapped around my legs, curled up into a comfortable ball, with Papyrus sitting close by. I assumed the tall skeleton didn't fall asleep either, not because he looked tired. The opposite, in fact. He clearly wasn't still tired and half-asleep, like most people are after waking up from a nap. Like how I was right now. He seemed alert, but not afraid. Fully awake, and perhaps somewhat bored. I noticed him playing some sort of game out of small bones. Watching him silently, I soon realized he was playing x's and o's with himself using his magic. When you're a monster who rarely actually needs sleep, I guess you get used to quietly keeping yourself entertained while waiting for the people who need sleep (basically everyone else?) to wake up.

Soon, more monsters began to awake. Toriel quietly slipped out of the room she'd been staying in, and quietly sat down at the table with a quiet greeting and a smile, remaining careful not to wake up Sans. We joined her at the table, with Undyne following soon behind us, seeming full of energy and ready to continue. After that, Sans woke up, and finally, MK quietly dragged himself out of the room to join us.

Now that everyone was here... I began to talk. I told them everything, the story the voice told, the prophecy, everything. I noticed Toriel seemed ready to break down in tears at the mention of the story, but we all quietly comforted her. I... left out of the part about Flowey probably being Asriel. I knew Toriel wouldn't be able to handle it, and that fact may even turn her against us. Once I was finished, MK told us what Flowey told him. He said that Flowey was working with many others, in order to 'fix everything'. He explained how Flowey told him the timeline was messed up, how mistakes were made and that lead to this timeline's downfall. He explained how Flowey wanted me to stay alive, and others to suffer, in order to make fixing this timeline somehow easier. How I needed determination to somehow aid Flowey and the others in fixing the timeline.

When the explanation was done, we found ourselves even more confused and scared than before.

"Welp." Sans leaned back. "Let's, uh, not do what Flowey and his buddies want. I'm not sure exactly what he's talking about, but I think this timeline is just fine compared to whatever he's planning."

I nodded. "But... what should we do now, then?"

"Remember what Alphys said? We came here to find the human SOULs, to try and figure out what Gaster and the others were talking about. Or, at least, look at those coffins in the basement and try to find something. We should focus on that." Undyne advised.

"... Hm... Should we, perhaps, call Alphys?" Toriel asked.

I frowned. "We probably shouldn't. We should wait for Alphys to call us. What if we call at a bad time? Alphys clearly didn't want to be heard talking to us. I bet the others don't even know she has her phone with her. We shouldn't ruin that..."

"... Yo, maybe we should just go to Asgore himself." MK suggested.

I shrugged, silently getting up and walking quietly towards the stairs. I could hear footsteps following me, and I used the keys to actually unlock the keychain. It fell to the floor at our feet.

With a rush of determination, I called out to the voices to guide us.


	48. The King's Broken Kingdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And, finally, we're fully caught up to the DA version. Wow ok uh :'D Finally. Still writing the next chapter... but, wait, p sure this is the chapter I said I'd explain the whole comment choice thing so here we go
> 
> If you couldn't tell already, at the end of each chapter (in the original version), there'd almost always be a specific question or something that Frisk or another character wanted to know. The comments, or 'voices', could reach out, and choose to help them. Or, potentially, harm them, but the voices never really did that thankfully <3 Basically, and the end of each chapter, you'd see something like this:
> 
> ( _Question?_  
>  A) Possible Answer 1  
> B) Possible Answer 2  
> C) Possible Answer 3  
> D) Other/Comment below)
> 
> And Frisk would hear your choice in the next chapter <3
> 
> Though I've started writing chapter 49 already, I haven't even gotten close to finishing, so I'll leave the question at the end of the chapter here too <3
> 
> This chapter starts with Asgore's POV!

A king, looking upon the kingdom he ruled, let out a quiet sigh.

It was times like these where the weight of the crown he wore was the worst. It was at times like these where the armor he wore no longer felt like it protected him- it felt like it trapped him to his role- to lead the monsters to the surface, no matter the cost. To protect his people with his life.

But now, it crushed him, the burden to bear felt too great. The king was loosing hope.

He ruled a broken kingdom.

A quiet observer from the start, even now he felt hesitant to act at all. He hadn't left his castle since the human arrived. 

The Ruins, the home the monsters all lived in when they first entered the underground so many years ago, was gone. Shattered, inside and out. None of the residents who remained there, most of which had families who lived there for generations, were still alive. All broken. All shattered. All lost.

Even his dear wife, the wife he missed dearly, was not spared. Still, she moved on- but she was just as broken as the Ruins she once protected. As fragile as glass, quite literally. Her strength as a boss monster would allow her to remain like this for many, many years to come- but she wouldn't be the same. The same mind, the same memories, the same heart. But still, somehow, broken.

The residents of Snowdin, too, were just the same as the Ruins monsters. Almost all of which, by now, had faded to dust once more, most of them not lasting long upon entering that broken state. Snowdin had broken like shattered ice. Even the houses were cracked.

The king was sadly aware that the dust of the Snowdin townspeople would likely never completely leave- it covered the air, blending in with the fog. The dust on the ground blended with the snow.

At least the river flowed more powerfully than ever, with all the ice breaking apart. All of Snowdin seemed like ice, now.

Waterfall was hardly better. At least the Ruins and Snowdin were quiet. Waterfall was not. Waterfall, an uneasy mix of broken and untouched. The king didn't seem to rule that place. Despair of the citizens ruled. Chaotic, never resting. The untouched monsters watched as monsters around them shattered and fell, and they were left with nothing, as the walls around them shook, threatening to snap at any moment.

Hotland, while thankfully not broken, wasn't much better. The citizens were all fearful. Why had the human left Hotland alone? Was she forced to? Would she come back when they let down their guard? The citizens didn't know what to do. They were just afraid. They no longer trusted their king to save them.

The CORE, though, had a much different response. Full of rage and sorrow. The citizens of the CORE still were full of hope. Their king would save them all. Their king would give them hope. So, they must fight. They must kill the human.

But they failed.

The king ruled over a broken land.

Now, he knew that he had to do something. Yet, still, part of him wanted to hide in his throne room, hide in his garden of golden flowers. No longer being suffocated in his armor. No longer being crushed by his crown.

Still, the weight of the sins he committed before, the souls of long-dead humans, somehow drove him to finish the job.

He had to kill this human. The one who ruined his kingdom.

He needed to save the ones that remained.

He couldn't let his work go to waste. He couldn't let the lives of children go to waste.

The unaging king was at least vaguely aware of the others upstairs. His wife. The Captain of the Royal Guard. The Judge. An armless child. An optimistic young skeleton, the protector of the criminal who started this. The murderous human herself.

A golden flower was around here somewhere, too. Or, perhaps, he left. He wasn't quite sure.

The king closed his eyes, listening to the birds singing a soft tune. He knew the others would confront him. He knew very well the others would plead, 'don't kill the human!' they'd plead, 'find another way!'.

How could he convince him that there was no other way?

The king felt broken. Shattered. He could see only one way to fix his kingdom. He could only see one way to avoid their desperate pleas.

Kill the human before they can plead at all.

(Frisk's POV)

_The basement..._

_Prepare yourself..._

_Try to find clues..._

_Stay determined..._

Once again, the voices answered. Smiling a little as I listened, I knew the voices wanted us to go to the basement. "We should go to the basement." I eventually answered. The others must've heard the voices too- they all silently nodded, with no objection.

As I walked, I tried to ignore the fear plaguing my thoughts. Yet, it was hard. We'd be facing the king soon... once we were done looking for the human souls, maybe.

I wondered if he'd even listen to us.

Quiet, I walked, one foot in front of the other, the fear growing larger and larger.

At some point, I guess I stopped walking completely. Distracted, I didn't even notice. I just continued to think.

I'd been close to death several times... but I couldn't help but fear that this would be the end.

What then?

What would happen without me?

Would my soul be used to cross the barrier? Would the monsters thank the king for freeing them? Would my friends hate him for killing me?

I didn't know.

And I was terrified.

The others must've noticed my fear, as they too began to slow down, unsure what exactly was going on. The tall skeleton quietly walked back over to where I stood, staring at the ground. He smiled, and ruffled my hair. At first, I was alarmed and flinched, jolted out of my thoughts. Quickly though, I calmed down. We continued walking, with Papyrus holding my hand to calm me down, and keep me moving along with the rest of the group.

No one really spoke, until we reached Judgement Hall.

The comfortable silence turned into a sort of... confused one. Sans just stared quietly into the empty hallway, while the others seemed to wonder what to do. I remembered that the judge usually would stand in Judgement Hall. Oh well, no loss to me. "Let's keep moving. We're here to find the coffins and, hopefully, the souls." No one really objected.

We all walked through Judgement Hall silently. The monsters seemed to respect this place. Perhaps it was because it was so close to the King's Throne, and probably the fallen humans as well.

Quickly, we sped gracefully past the king's throne. I dared not look into the room. I just hoped he didn't hear us pass. It was very easy to trap us in the basement, after all.

Wanting to get out of this place as soon as possible, I went quickly down the stairs, while the others, even Papyrus, hesitated.

Before even looking into the basement, I knew I didn't want to be down here alone, so I quickly encouraged the others to follow. Thankfully they all did- except for Sans, claiming it was too crowded for him. Honestly, I agreed with him- with nearly all of us all crammed together in this little basement, there was hardly enough room to breathe.

Behind the first one in the basement, I quickly found myself being pushed closer to the coffins. Looking back, I paid no mind to the nametags at first. "So... the bodies are kept in here, huh? Are the souls here too?" I asked, a bit confused. It felt like this wasn't what we were looking for.

Undyne frowned a bit. "Doesn't seem like it... the king must keep the souls themselves somewhere else."

I almost replied, until I noticed Papyrus staring at the coffin closest to me, seeming a little distressed. Before I could ask, he turned away and rather loudly spoke, "Well, if the souls aren't here, then I don't want to stay in a crammed basement with coffins all day!"

While Toriel seemed to like the idea, MK quickly answered, "Yo, he wouldn't just leave the souls out in the open? Like, he'd hide them. Probably behind the coffins somewhere- no one wants to climb around coffins hiding bodies, right?"

Undyne seemed... proud?

Toriel and Papyrus did not like the idea. Sans had been listening, however, and murmured, "MK might be right."

Papyrus quickly looked at me, looking hopeful that we could get out of here. "We won't stay here long, I promise. MK's right. We're just going to look."

It seemed like he wanted to fight back, but he didn't. Toriel remained silent. I realized, then, that these were all the coffins of children she'd seen before. She looked away, quietly moving herself into a corner.

I looked back at the coffins, to see why Papyrus so suddenly seemed to want to leave. Aside from, y'know, dead bodies.

Almost immediately, I found my answer.

The name tag on the coffin closest to me, read,

_FRISK_

My heart sank.

I backed away from the coffin, moving closer to Papyrus. Quietly, I motioned for Undyne and MK to search around the coffins, while I quietly asked Papyrus, "Was that why you wanted us to leave? The nametag?"

The tall skeleton slowly nodded, looking noticeably sad. I simply smiled back at him, trying to get him to smile as well.

It didn't seem to work.

Looking up the stairs, I noticed Sans motioning for us to follow him. Confused, we both went up the stairs to make sure everything was alright, but Sans quickly shook his head at the taller skeleton. "Just Frisk. I need to talk to her."

"Oh? Alright." The taller skeleton turned around, and walked back down the stairs, not bothering to ask any questions.

Confused, I looked around. "What is it?"

Sans quietly walked back towards Judgement Hall, signaling for me to follow.

"'s kinda tradition, kid." He shrugged, leading me into Judgement Hall.

"... What's tradition?" I asked, playing dumb as the words of the voice echoed in my mind. You will not be judged.

I quickly realized that Sans must be 'The Judge'. As realization dawned on me, I took a step back.

"Well..." He looked back at me, perhaps trying to figure out how to explain it without freaking me out. However, his gaze quickly turned to someone behind me.

"That won't be necessary, Sans. I'll talk to her myself."

The voice of the king. It sounded... more peaceful, than I originally thought. Yet, I didn't turn to face him.

Sans seemed alarmed.

"Uh-" He quickly tried to object, but the king shook his head.

Tapping Sans on the shoulder, I quietly murmured to him to go get the others from the basement. Before he could object, I took a deep breath, and turned and walked towards the king, my head held high. I couldn't get a good look at him, as he seemed to disappear into the shadows, back into his throne room.

My pace was slow, not entering the room until Sans practically dove into the basement.

Upon entering, I could feel a sense of dread in my stomach, looking at the garden full of golden flowers.

I looked up at the king of monsters, my eyes narrowed as I continued to step towards him, well aware of the worn dagger in my pocket, just in case. I began to think of how I could start the conversation, as I heard the footsteps of others hurrying up the steps.

I heard flames behind me. Looking back, I could tell Toriel did not summon them. The others glared, screamed, pleaded. Papyrus tried to move around the fire, but quickly jumped back when his cape was set on fire. He quickly put it out. Toriel summoned her own fire, but I could tell by the look in Asgore's eyes that he was unwilling to let me go.

Maybe... maybe I could get through to him. Maybe he was just stressed. If I fought him, if we both lived... we could figure this out together.

I turned to the others, and shook my head. Don't bother trying to stop it.

Taking the worn dagger out of my pockets, I knew I could fight him. Holding the heart locket in my other hand for just a moment, I knew I could protect them, and myself.

I was filled with... determination.

The others backed up, as flames roared around the room, pushing them back, away from the fight. Despite how hot the fire felt, I breathed in no smoke, and the flowers beneath it didn't burn. Knife in hand, the fight begun.

While the king's body was mostly concealed by some sort of purple cape, his hand shot out, revealing a large, red trident. I could see golden armor underneath, which would make it a bit difficult to harm him. I'd have to try and make small cuts to his hands, maybe. After all, I had no intention of killing him... though he had full intentions to kill me.

As the weapon landed directly beside me, all thought of escaping the fight was gone. I was ready to fight.

Quickly, I stabbed the one of his hands while he was pulling the trident out of the ground. He made no sound, no indication that he was at all harmed.

That scared me.

His hands, suddenly ablaze, waved in the air, fire raging in my general direction. With caution, I dodged past them, aiming my knife to strike once again. I barely got a scratch, when flames danced around me, and I gracefully danced along, managing to avoid them.

I could hear yelling from the others, trying to get us to stop. 

Asgore's eyes, glowing a fierce orange, took a step forward, holding his trident. Orange... move. As the trident, too, turned orange, I ran through, bracing myself in case I made the wrong move. But, I didn't, and the trident went through me. However, he quickly aimed at me again, and I only barely managed to jump backwards in time.

First, I noticed that MK and Undyne had backed away. Maybe Undyne was trying to guard the child from the brutal fight.

"Let us talk!" I demanded. I didn't dare let him know I didn't want to fight, however. I didn't want him to try and take advantage of this, and finish me off while I was attempting to spare him. He only continued his attacks, carefully waving his hands to summon more fire around me. It was getting harder and harder to doge the heat of the flames.

Then, Sans backed off. There was nothing he could do.

"Stop trying." I growled at the king, trying my best to show no fear. Despite the heat, I wasn't yet tired. Then, fired circled around us. I panicked, seeing no escape as the flames grew closer. Until I noticed the gap in the flames, behind Asgore. Quickly, I ducked past him, and escaped. I ran closer to the entrance, so the others could be sure I escaped. Fire, now, seemed to come from the ceiling, falling like rain. While perhaps considered cheating, I ran towards the throne, knocking it over to use as a shield. The fire didn't burn the chair.

Finally, Toriel turned and walked down the hall. She couldn't dare watch as she lost another child. She couldn't stop the fight either- she couldn't risk her fire attacks hitting me, or making the king's fire stronger on accident.

Asgore's attacks grew more powerful, and I noticed myself growing more tired. I was beginning to stumble. Again, his eyes flashed colors. Orange, blue, orange. With this pattern, I ran through one attack, then froze, then ran again. Right into a fire attack. I let out a screech, though the fire wasn't as painful as real fire. Filled with determination, I lunched forward, managing to cut him with my knife a couple times before I backed off, growing more and more tired.

Only Papyrus remained, frozen in place as he watched the fight. From time to time, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, he'd hit Asgore over the head with a bone attack when he was distracted. The tall skeleton had more control over his magic, he could stop at any time to be sure he didn't hit me. While his attacks might not've been as strong as some of the others, no one else could stop their attack that quickly.

Realizing I could barely damage the king, I realized Papyrus was really the only hope for me to survive, especially considering no other fallen human has made it out alive before.

I just had to keep dodging, and keep cutting whenever I had the change, until he finally stopped.

My breath shaky, I ran forward to attack again. As the flaming rain poured again from the ceiling, I realized the shelter I'd used was too far away. I dove under Asgore's cape, managing to stab him in the back a couple times while doing so, and carefully avoiding his angered attacks. Quickly, I realized this hiding spot wasn't a good idea as he grew more angry, so I dove out of the way of an attack, and headed closer to the throne. Fire at my sides, my only hope was to keep running. Fire circled me again, raging around me. Stumbling, I couldn't avoid the sting of the fire magic, though I still managed to escape.

His eyes lit up with bright colors once more. Orange, orange, blue. I ran for the first two, easily going through. Though, when I tried to stop, I tripped almost directly into the now blue trident. While not fatal, the attack cut 3 scars into my side, all of which bleeding a bit. I managed to roll out of the way as he aimed another fire attack.

I saw Papyrus' attacks getting more desperate.

I had to keep going. Managing to get up, I barely dodged another fire attack, hearing Asgore roar with anger as Papyrus repeatedly shot bone magic toward him. Despite this, Asgore never once tried to hurt any of the monsters, even the one currently attacking him. He focused completely on me.

I could tell from the look in Asgore's eyes, that he was just as determined to kill me as I was determined to live. Any bit of regret turned to anger.

Trying to ignore my tiredness, I focused on the fight. He aimed fire attacks, and I dodged. Fire circled me, but I escaped.

I noticed the fire attacks getting faster and faster. I only stayed more determined. Fire attacks rained down again, and I dove for the throne shelter, though fire stung at my back a couple times, making me growl in rage. Desperate for a rest, I hid under the throne until Asgore walked closer. Preparing myself and taking a deep breath, I ran out, running for my life as flames flames ran again.

A bad mistake. Too focused on the fire, I didn't see Asgore's eyes or trident. As I ran, the blue trident cut through me as Papyrus tried to scream out a warning. Blood splattered onto the flowers beneath me. I knew he'd strike again, but I didn't know whether to stay still or move. Papyrus quickly shouted, "Still!" Assuming he meant to stay still, I froze. Thankfully, I was right. The trident passed right through me, as Papyrus continued to shoot attacks. "Move!" He then shouted, and I quickly rolled out of the way of another attack. Managing to stand up, I continued to run, the heat making me dizzy and the scars stinging painfully, as blood dripped down.

I needed to finish this fight quickly. Realizing I still had that pie, I also realized the container dropped on the ground, conveniently on the opposite side of the room. That could heal me until the fight was over. Knowing the magic would leave me fully healed anyway, I bolted straight towards it. The sting of the flames hurt, and I shut my eyes, trying to ignore the pain.

Grabbing the pie out of the container, I quickly ate it. As soon as I did, the wounds closed up, still showing a scar but no longer bleeding. The stinging pain was gone, and I was filled with energy.

I noticed Asgore hesitate as I ate the pie. Perhaps he recognized it.

As the king hesitated, I ran forward, jumping up and managing to slash his muzzle, before quickly jumping away. His attacks continued, though slower- with the newfound energy I had, I quickly managed to cut and stab, until Papyrus stopped his attacks, and Asgore began to back off.

"Are you willing to talk?" I asked, standing tall and proud. I think I saw Asgore give a defeated smile.

That smile, however, turned quickly into a silent look of horror, as vines wrapped around his neck, arms and legs.

I saw 6, brightly colored souls, the ones we were looking for.

And one yellow flower.

Panicked, I yelled, and I heard Papyrus scream. I saw him run for help.

I only focused on Papyrus for a couple seconds. When I turned back, I heard a snap, and Asgore faded to dust.

My mouth opened, but no sound came out. For a moment, I wondered if there was a vine around my neck, too, but I couldn't feel anything.

I saw the king of monster's soul in front of me, and the footsteps of the other monsters running into the room.

As Flowey attacked his soul, I could hear screams ringing in my hears.

Still, I could not say anything.

And everything went black.

Yet, to my surprise, I didn't pass out or die. I was still fully awake. I could see the others too, through blurred vision.

I heard the voice behind me.

"Greetings... partner."

(Frisk is quietly calling for help. What can you tell her?  
A) Run!  
B) Stay calm, see what they want.  
C) Walk towards the others  
D) Ask what happened to Asgore/Why did Flowey kill him  
E) Other ((comment below!)))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to those who've followed the story thus far, A03 and DeviantArt alike <3 You guys make me so happy sometimes I don't even know what to say >w< The best feeling ever, for me, is hearing that someone likes something I wrote. You guys keep me motivated to keep writing, drawing and improving. I even got a bit of fanart for BrokenTale a while back <3 I would post it here, but they left the site they posted it to, so I'm not sure if they want me to show the art .3."
> 
> Thanks again, everyone! Keep in mind, this isn't the end. Still got 2 more chapters to go... well, I'm like 99% sure we won't need to spread this out into even more chapters but like it's not 100% I guess if the comments somehow massively affect something I didn't consider until after that'll change my plans???
> 
> and I might post some random 'bloopers', art, etc. after that. I'll def post something about the fact that the story is getting a Youtube reading dub (which is crazy, never expected something like that ;w; I'll go more in detail when I actually post a thing about it haha)


	49. The Final Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wOOOO SECOND-TO-LAST CHAPTER BABY
> 
> Might do like small BrokenTale stuff here n' there after too but ehhh. If I do I might not post it to this story, I'll make a separate one (in this series??? I think. I'm still p new at AO3 stuff oops) called like... BrokenTale: ... something
> 
> I dunno yet
> 
> Of course, there'll be a choice at the end of this chapter! Choose carefully, and thanks for staying with the story <3
> 
> Hard to believe it's second to last chapter already. At the 13th of November, it'll officially be 2 years since I posted the first version of the first chapter to DA... if that makes sense haha

It felt like I was on another planet. The world was dark as the night, yet shadows did not fall, and I could see everything clearly. A soft wind flew gently, though I couldn't tell from which direction, as it seemed to constantly move and change where it wanted to go. My mind felt fuzzy, and I realized I had trouble remembering what just happened. It felt like yesterday was months ago. It felt like I'd been trapped here for just as long, seemingly frozen in time. Yet, my feet didn't hurt standing on the invisible ground that blended perfectly with the dark walls... assuming that walls existed here at all.

I took in a deep breath, and I heard one voice speak. The voice was clear as day, and I recognized it- it belonged to one of the voices that helped me repeatedly thus far. More thankful than ever to hear the voice, I listened.

_Back away slightly to have distance between you and Flowey, but stay calm._

I shivered before I turned around, despite the lack of any warmth or cold in this place. There was nothing at all, aside from the wind. Following the advice I'd been given, I quickly began backing away... until I realized I couldn't see Flowey at all. I couldn't see anyone. Where I expected someone to be, there was instead a small, glowing star-like object. Confused, I cautiously moved closer, reaching out a hand towards it, though not touching it. It felt warm, a similar warmth that reminded me of fire magic. Though, I didn't attempt to touch it, and decided to carefully back away.

As I did so, it felt as if someone was watching me.

Unable to see anything, I turned around, planning on heading towards the others. I could see them through blurred vision in the distance. The strangest thing about this, is that they were standing in a line, perfectly still, unmoving.

Then, something got my attention. The black walls were interrupted by a dark red, moving from somewhere behind me, to off in the distance. It continued like this for some time, like a pulse of red, a heartbeat giving life to an otherwise empty land.

I turned around.

There, in a perfect line, stood several monsters, along with 6 human souls surrounding Flowey. In front of the line, stood one... human. Not just a soul, a seemingly alive human. I jumped back, though soon tried to recover and act calm. The human in the front of the line, I knew right away she looked a lot like me. The same height, likely the same age or similar, same short, brown, messy hair. Yet, I noticed many differences. Her skin was a ghostly pale, with only her pink cheeks showing any sign at all that she might even have blood in her body. Her eyes a striking crimson colour, and she wore a green sweater with a yellow-ish stripe. She wore brown boots, and brown pants.

Yet, aside from all of that... I noticed something that terrified me even more than her ghostly pale skin or red eyes.

I noticed she was broken. More broken than any monster I'd ever seen. I noticed, around her neck, it was the worst. I noticed that there was an ever-present stream of blood that flowed through the cracks of broken glass around her neck, which flowed into her mouth, and finally, into her eyes. While her eyes a striking crimson, the sclera of the eye was not white, but instead the darkest red you'll ever see, which threatened to pour out of her eyes.

Behind her and the furthest to the left (my left, not her left), stood Alphys. Without a word, I turned my attention towards her, my body language and expression alike a silent cry for help, or even reassurance that she was truly on my side. Pupil-less eyes gazed back at me through foggy glasses, and the scientist wore no expression. Her gray scales made her appear truly lifeless.

Behind the human, and furthest to the right, stood another scientist. A skeleton, his skull badly cracked, and perfect holes in his hands. Despite this, he didn't seem broken like any other monster. He, too, wore little expression. As soon as I saw him, I knew this was Dr. Gaster. His grayscale followers stood close by.

And, in the line, stood several broken monsters. I noticed Aaron was not present. Nor was Woshua, or many others.

The human spoke, and as her voice was carried throughout this strange world, I knew that she was the one who told me the story of the fallen human and the prince. She was the fallen human, wasn't she? Her words confirmed my suspicion. "I am Chara, the first human to fall into the underground." She greeted with a smile, "Thank you. Your power... your determination, it awakened me from death."

At a loss for words, I tried to open my mouth but no sound came. The human smiled once more, but said nothing, as I turned my head to look back at my friends who stood in a line at a distance, eerily silent. Something was wrong. I knew, before I continued, I had to investigate. Curious of Chara's reaction, I looked back to her and the other monsters for a moment. They said nothing. Not wanting to simply walk away, perhaps out of fear, I nervously murmured, "What do you mean?" I began to back up again, trying to get subtly closer to my friends, while at the same time getting further away from the fallen human and the others. Yet, every move I was painfully unsure of. Everything felt so... surreal, so unnatural and strange, I wasn't sure how exactly to react.

I turned to get a better look at my friends.

But... their faces, I couldn't see them. As they stood in a perfect line, there was some strange cloud that covered their faces from view, foggy and disorienting- despite it's cloud-like appearance at first glance, it crackled like fire, burning away at any identity, forbidding me from seeing their faces.

"Your determination... your human soul... I recognized it. You don't remember, though." Chara sent a glance down at Flowey, who'd moved forward to stay at her side, the human souls following obediently. "You've done this all before." Noticing my confusion, she added, "Well... perhaps not exactly. Though, you've been through the underground before."

I stared, too confused to answer at first. Finally, I gathered my words. "Flowey... is that why you said, back in the Ruins... you spoke as if you've known me for years?"

The flower nodded, with a grin. "Many timelines!"

Carefully, I tried to consider these words before I spoke. "Why don't I remember?"

Chara began to speak, though halted when she realized that the weed wanted to explain himself, "Because you chose not too."

Growing desperate from confusion, I asked, my tone begging for an answer, "What are you talking about? How did I do any of this? I don't know what you mean by timelines, I don't know anything. What do you know that I forgot?! How do you-"

"We were there!" Flowey smiled, "From the very beginning!"

Then, Chara spoke. "When I first woke up all those timelines ago, I was so confused... our plan had failed, hadn't it?" I realized then, she meant the plan to break the barrier. "I didn't understand why I was brought back to life. Now I do." She smiled. "Because of you. With your guidance, I realized the purpose of my reincarnation. You see, when you first arrived, all I could do was watch. You followed a similar path, yet... one that could not have possibly gained a correct ending."

A 'correct' ending?

"Though, through your travels, you encountered death. You did not want to die. Your determination, the same power that awakened me from death, it called out to everything and said, 'I don't want to die!' You came back to life. And, in your travels, you realized, too, that monsters must be saved. You wanted to free them, just as I had. But you could not. Timeline after timeline, something prevented you from starting over. A perverted sentimentality, perhaps? The wish to repeat your memories, over and over, unknowing of consequences, or perhaps believing you were above consequence completely with your power. And... after so many resets... you lost your determination. Your ability to reset. I, too, lost any power I might've had. My DETERMINATION was yours. That's when you found the purpose of my reincarnation, and showed it to me. Power. You killed your friends, in a desperate attempt to gain enough power to reset, and one day go through the barrier as I had. And, you did. You reset. But, you knew that with your memories still intact from all the past timelines, you'd never find your happy ending. So, you erased your memories, too."

"We tried to play along, as we always did, at first." Flowey chimed in, "But, with time, me and Chara realized that, even with starting over with no memories, you did not have your determination. If you died, it was over forever. The underground's angel would be forever lost. It wasn't just us that wanted you alive, either. Those voices you hear... they come from a place far from here, but they watch us all the time. Invisible to us, but we've become aware of their presence, as have you. So, we helped."

"You call 'helping' trying to kill my friends?" I barked, with rage. After I spoke, I realized something else. The voices. Did... that mean the voices were working with them? No, I realized, that couldn't be it, right? After all, the voices, unlike Flowey, Chara, Gaster and the others, wanted to keep my friends alive. So, did they work entirely separately from them, with the only similarity being that they wanted to keep me alive? Afraid, I no longer knew who to trust. Yet, despite that... I knew that they'd helped me thus far.

Wait... where did the voices come from, anyways? How did they watch us? I knew they were still with us, I heard one of their voices upon entering this place. I shivered.

"We weren't trying to rid of them entirely." Chara explained, "Like the voices, we didn't want them to die. Yet, we seemed to have different ideas regarding how."

Admittedly, I wondered if the voices' goals were really all that different from the fallen ones in the end. Still, I questioned,

"Then why did you harm them? Why did you," I turned my gaze to Gaster, "hurt Papyrus? Your son? Why did you take Alphys away?" Then, I looked at Alphys. She merely looked away.

Gaster spoke up, though in a voice I could not understand. His voice was somehow both eerie and calming, all at the same time. As he spoke, his hands signed along with his words. Realizing I could not understand, Chara gladly translated, "Dr. Gaster said, 'I never meant to harm Papyrus, or anyone else. In Papyrus' case, I hoped to remove him completely from the timeline, in hopes that he would be safe from what was to come. He fought back, which was something I, admittedly, did not expect from him. As for Alphys... she joined us willingly. As a scientist, it didn't take her long to figure out that our plan will work.'"

I turned to Alphys. No, she said she'd stay at our side, even if it didn't look like it. She was acting right now, right? Though, Alphys' words quickly shattered my hope, "Th-this is true. I- n-no, we're all on y-your side, Frisk!"

"Then what," I pointed behind me, "happened to my friends?" I looked back at my friends, then back at Chara and Flowey. The other monsters simply watched silently. "What did you do to them?"

Flowey blinked. "Nothing, in the end. Wake them up, if you believe that's the right thing to do. I won't stop you. You've done it before, after all, in timelines that were forgotten by you long ago."

I looked to Alphys, and she nodded. I looked to Chara and Gaster, and both of them nodded, though Chara spoke up, mentioning, "Personally, it'd be easier if we could talk to you alone. Though, I have a strong feeling that you will continue to be suspicious of us and our intentions if we forbid you. So, go ahead. We did not kill them."

I hesitated, fearing that waking them up was some sort of trap. Yet, I needed to know. Slowly stepping towards them, I finally halted in front of my closest friend- the only monster in this world who I could fully trust. In this place, rather devoid of colour, his red scarf and brightly-coloured armour stood out, a lighthouse of hope in the dark. "Papyrus?" I asked, looking up at where his face should be. Through the strange, white cloud of white flames that blurred his features, I couldn't see any hope that he even heard me. I glanced over my shoulder at the fallen prince and the others, but none gave a hint of what to do. Wordlessly, they observed my every movement like vultures.

Tugging on Papyrus' scarf gently, I called out once again, but the tall skeleton was motionless. Slowly, I moved away. I'd done this before... I just needed to figure out how, exactly, to do this. How to save them.

Filled with DETERMINATION, I continued on as the fallen human watched me with a piercing gaze. Reaching out, I called out to my friends. There in there somewhere, they must be. As I called out, I heard them whisper. Voices, several voices all whispering, but any words were blocked out by the raging fire that burned. They sounded so... empty. For a moment, I wondered if they were forever lost.

I wouldn't give up. Somewhere past that burning, white cloud that covered their faces, they were there somewhere. I just needed to find them. I needed to find Papyrus first. Trying again to get Papyrus' attention, I heard fragments of a whisper.

_Must... capture... human..._

Had he forgotten me? I was cautious, though realizing he made no effort to move, I walked forward. "Papyrus?" I whispered, careful to not let the others hear my voice. "Please, wake up! Help me!" I quietly begged, frantically thinking of a way to wake him up. Again, I heard him whisper,

_Then... everyone will..._

Maybe I should... annoy him, a little. Would that make him remember? I thought, then whispered a terrible pun about skeletons. Papyrus shifted, seeming a little annoyed. Unfortunately, nothing happened.

But, in the corner of my eye, I noticed something. Beside him stood his brother. As I said the joke, for just a moment, through the blurriness, I could see Sans' grin.

I had an idea.

If I could wake up the smiley trashbag... then surely, his brother would wake up, too, right? I quickly fled closer to Sans, and as I approached, I heard him whisper,

_...give up... i did..._

No. I'll never give up. As much as I hated Sans sometimes, I was going to wake him up. For Papyrus' sake, I wouldn't let Sans give up either.

_Why..._

He whispered again. I didn't answer him.

_...You'll never see them again..._

Sans whispered again. I noticed, then, his brother was silent. Fearful, I went up to Papyrus, purposefully trying to insult him to the point that, at the very least, he'd start talking again, if not wake up. "Papyrus, you lazy bag of bones, wake up! You're even lazier than your brother! Get up! You've been sleeping all night!" I growled at him, trying to convince him that he needed to wake up now, because even his brother was awake at this point. Which, of course, was a lie. Somehow, though, Papyrus didn't even care. I guess my plan sort of worked though... I could hear him whispering once again. Thinking, I figured I'd probably have to wake up Papyrus and his brother at the same time. I decided the thought was a bit amusing. I'd have to wake up the one I trusted most, and the one I trusted (probably) the least at the same time. I spoke to both of them. "Sans, Papyrus, let's take a break. Everything's ok."

Neither of them responded, but it seemed like they wanted to.

Finally, I took a deep breath, and whispered... "Sans... Papyrus... I'm so sorry. Everything I've done, everyone I killed or spared... it's lead us here, hasn't it...? Please, you two... I need help, now. We can save this place. Together."

For a second, they didn't respond, and I felt defeated. Though, suddenly, the two quietly nodded... and the fire finally burned away. They were back. They were here. They were safe. Relieved, I nearly cried as I nearly tackle-hugged Papyrus. "You idiots!" I hissed. "You made me think you were dead!"

"Hey, kiddo, calm down." Sans laughed, though his laughter soon paused, realizing where he was. Looking around, he shivered, seeing Undyne, MK, and Toriel all just... standing there. "What-"

"is that?!" Papyrus finished, though he wasn't looking at the lost ones beside him. He looked straight ahead, and his bones went, somehow, paler than before as he looked at his father, and the other fallen ones that watched everything.

The two brothers whispered back and forth quickly, making plans of their own, so it seemed. Thankfully, they shared their plan with me.

"Kid, Papyrus is going to save MK and Undyne. I'll get Toriel. You..." He looked back at his father, then back at me. "I'm rootin' for ya, kid." With uncertainty, the perhaps pessimistic skeleton walked over to the broken monster, former guardian of the Ruins. I noticed Papyrus aim an attack at Undyne, but a weak one. I hoped that Papyrus was right, and fighting would remind Undyne of what she was here for.

"Are you ready for us to continue, then?" Chara spoke up. I could hear the sound of Toriel gasp behind me, and I knew she was awake. She recognized her deceased child.

"My child..." I heard the broken monster murmur. As if nothing was wrong, Toriel fearlessly pushed pass, first, Sans, and then myself. Both of us tried to hold her back, as did Undyne upon waking up. Papyrus did not hold her back. Whether it was because he realized the emotions she was going through, or was simply focused on MK, I wasn't sure. Perhaps a mix of both... after all, I couldn't imagine what Papyrus must think of his own father right now, one he presumably hasn't seen in years.

I didn't follow her. Undyne and Sans continued to try to convince her not to, but Toriel simply disregarded them. The previous queen of the underground had little trouble getting past those two's feeble attempts, and soon, they too stopped trying. Toriel knelt down in front of her child. "My child..." She repeated, as if she couldn't quite believe her own words. "Oh, child, what happened to you?" Her paw rested against Chara's broken features. A mother and daughter, both broken beyond repair. The mother held her daughter close. "How did you get here? ... How did we get here?" Toriel murmured. She glanced behind her, and I saw a moment of concern in her eyes. "Where's your- where's Asgore?" I knew he was dust, though she was unaware.

While Chara remained quiet, the fallen prince answered her question. I noticed, too, Toriel didn't seem to know who Flowey was, exactly. "This is a place banished from time and space. Away from our timeline, the timeline Asgore was left behind in." He began, which I could tell already sent several questions racing through his mother's mind. "As for how you got here... well, golly, I couldn't just bring you all here easily! I attempted to bring Frisk here once, but... it seemed she ended up somewhere in-between our timeline, and this place. A place outside of all timelines. With the power of the human souls, though... I could use that power to either bring all of you here, or for a great power, the power of 6 human souls. I chose to bring you all here, this time."

So... Flowey made a mistake during the 'dream'. He didn't actually intend to leave me in that strange place, with the Riverperson and the strange phone call, and the annoying dog and the mushroom guy? Flowey never intended for me to see that?

A chill went down my spine. Something was wrong with this timeline.

Something was seriously wrong.

"Timeline...?" Toriel asked gently, still holding her daughter close as she looked up at the broken monsters. I noticed, they were not ones that were killed by me. They were ones such as Doge, the royal guardsmen that clearly frightened Sans and Papyrus when they saw her all the way back in Snowdin. Thinking of it... it seemed like years ago, now, that I was back in Snowdin. I wondered what happened to the broken monsters I'd killed... such as Woshua. Had they faded to dust by now?

"What do you mean?" I heard Papyrus ask, and I realized that none of them had heard any of the conversation while they were... 'lost' behind the white flaming cloud.

"Let us sum this up." Chara spoke softly to her brother. "Can you not see the timeline? Our home? It's breaking even more. We do not have forever." As if she could watch the timeline through a window, she spoke as if she could see everything fall apart. "We cannot fail now."

The golden-petaled flower nodded, and spoke clearly. I noticed that he skipped the part about me existing before this current timeline, along with many other things. Why? Did he not wish for them to know? Did he simply not bother, because only I needed to know?

"Your world. Everything you know, everything that has happened to you... all of you share this 'timeline'. The world you all know, and have lived in your whole lives. You are restricted to a single timeline. If, in that timeline, you encounter something... whether it be the best thing that ever happened to you, or the end of your life, then that is final. It is what happened in your timeline. No way to go back... right?"

The monsters silently listened to the flower.

"Well... not exactly. You all know of DETERMINATION?" The weed asked. Not waiting for a response, he began to explain, "Long ago, it was discovered that part of the reasons human souls are so much more powerful than ours, is because they have something called DETERMINATION. No... not the trait determination, exactly. Call this 'other' DETERMINATION... DT for short. DT was found before Dr. Alphys became a scientist, though Dr. Alphys did a truly fantastic job in figuring out just what exactly it is. We all have a little bit of DT in us... but humans have the most. Through her studies... well, Alphys realized that DT was so powerful, that it could bring something back to life... even if the being's soul and body alike were lost. I'm sure most of you already knew what I just said, though!" He winked.

Alphys shivered, and stepped back a bit at the mention. I could tell, she seemed ashamed of her findings, despite how interesting and useful they were in the end. I could tell... she didn't use the best methods to prove her theory, did she?

"So... if DT is truly powerful enough to bring someone back to life... what if a being held so much DT, that it rivaled the very timeline itself? What if a being had so much DETERMINATION... that they would rewind time itself to remain alive?"

Despite the silence that filled the area, the silence somehow seemed even more quiet than before.

"Frisk is a human, with an impressive amount of DT. She does not have this power, the power to reset, though... not without our help." Flowey nodded to his sister, Chara. Despite the fact that she was dead, she still had an incredible amount of DT, one that rivaled my own. "Y'see, years ago... when the prince and the fallen human fled from the humans... they placed a curse upon them. You all have seen this curse. The one that makes the ones who fall to a being with more powerful determination... broken, under certain circumstances." As he said this, his face shifted, to reveal a broken version of himself. I noticed, he spoke of this event as if he was not the prince, and for a moment I wondered if I could possibly be wrong. However, he then mentioned, "If you further doubt this DT, well... I was there when that happened!" Flowey winked. His face shifted once again... a lifeless, broken version of the prince from long ago. Chara shivered at the sight of her deceased brother.

Realization dawned on his mother's face.

She began to cry.

The prince smiled a little sympathetically. "I used my power to bring you all here for a specific reason. As you all know, with this curse, we become broken. Though, this state doesn't last forever. The weaker you are, often the quicker it'll happen- you'll turn to dust once again, and this time, you won't come back. This curse affects the entire underground, too- a plague that travels through the lands that go empty!" His voice was raised as he spoke this. "But, golly, don't look so worried!" The plant chuckled. "We know a way to bring everyone back... with this power." Chara smiled and nodded, giving her mother one last quick hug before stepping towards me.

"To start over." Chara blinked. "Frisk... from the very start, you've killed monsters. You want to go back. You want to SAVE the monsters. You want to SAVE yourself. This world- this timeline- will be destroyed, along with the monsters we both love so dearly. Please, consider my offer." Though all of my instincts said to disregard anything she said... I looked closer. I began to realize something that I didn't realize before. We were the same. We were... are, the children of humans, and in our journey through the underground, we grew. We both wished, with every ounce of DETERMINATION we had, to SAVE these monsters. We were just humans, wanting to protect the monsters we both loved. No one could reset right now. But if we put this power together... could we really go back?

Yet, despite all of this... would this be the right choice? I had to be sure.

Turning to the others, the girl glanced at her mother for a moment, then backed up to stand beside Dr. Gaster, who'd been fairly silent this whole time since he recalled that the majority of us couldn't understand him, and Chara likely didn't want to translate every word he said. "Stand with us, if you choose to believe that this world was meant to be erased from the beginning. Stand with us, if you want to go back. With this, all monsters... dead or alive... will have a second chance."

The former queen of the underground, tears still gently falling down her face, stood up and stood next to her daughter, her giant paw holding Chara's little hand. Her expression urged us to follow her, as if her very soul itself called out and tried desperately to pull us forward.

"What will happen to the monsters of this... 'timeline', then?" The Captain of the Royal Guard finally spoke. Still clearly shocked by all the information, I was surprised she even spoke at all. Despite this, she sounded regal, and intimidating. She needed to know what was right for the monsters she fought to protect.

"All of us, we'll be sent back in time, back to the moment where Frisk fell into the underground. Frisk will remember everything. You will not. Though..." She looked to the side. "Perhaps, some part of you will remember each other." The human shook her head, "I've seen how you all act. I've watched from the beginning. I'm not sure if some of you will remember anything..." Her gaze turned to Papyrus, "But some bonds cannot be broken, even with complete removal of their timeline." The human smiled.

Undyne seemed... thoughtful. "Those still alive would not be harmed?"

"And those who lost their lives after Frisk's arrival will be alive once more." Chara confirmed with a nod.

"How would this help, though?" Sans mumbled. "If we reset now... then it'll just keep on going. Over and over again, you won't be pleased with the ending, so you'll find an excuse to have Frisk reset again. If we reset, you yourself said that some of us won't remember anything. If some of us will remember anything at all... to what extent, then? How would we live knowing the alternative path? One timeline turns into two. Two different paths, reset or do not. Then, you'll find there's errors in both choices. So two those two timelines will turn into four. Where does it end?"

Dr. Gaster signed something as he spoke, likely more eager to speak when someone would understand him. After all, it didn't take me long to realize that what he was saying sounded like the strange language I'd heard Sans and Papyrus use before. Chara, again, translated for those of us who didn't understand, "Dr. Gaster said, 'With Frisk's DETERMINATION so low that we need to step in and help, worry not about another reset. In this place, I've had plenty of time to think of these scenarios, over and over. Never stopping. I don't remember when it started. This will be the last reset... no anomaly will ever mess with this timeline again."

"How do you know this'll even work?" Sans questioned further, his eyesockets narrowed with suspicion.

Flowey spoke up. "I've reset many times in the past, before Frisk came along."

"Why can't you now? If Frisk lost her DT, why don't you have your power back?" Sans questioned.

The weed quickly opened his mouth, but seemed to realize he... didn't know the answer. "I've... tried." He spoke slowly, trying to think of an explanation. "But I've been unable too. I suspect it has something to do with the fact that I haven't reset in so long..." He murmured. Something about his answer, though, didn't answer everything. I noticed Flowey, himself, didn't seem to fully understand why he couldn't reset. I wonder if he blamed me. "Even if I could reset, if I reset without the human on-board with our plan... then the monsters would be forever doomed. We must be careful about this-"

"What if Frisk cannot reset?" The short skeleton interrupted. "She hasn't reset before... has she?" His eyesockets somehow narrowed even further, his voice threatening.

Chara sent me a look, one that seemed to ask permission. Slowly, I shook my head, indicating that I would speak myself.

"I... according to them, I have reset... before..." I murmured. Sans seemed surprised. "They told me my story before you all... y'know, stopped takin' a nap." I grumbled. "I've reset more recently than Flowey has. I erased my own memories. To try and reach a better ending, I guess." I admitted.

"... There were timelines before this one?" Papyrus quietly spoke up. Sans laughed, exclaiming,

"This is exactly my point! Frisk and Flowey have both reset likely multiple times before this! The timeline will keep repeating itself!"

Chara glared, "There would be no more resets after this. This is the last one."

"I'm sure you said that timelines ago!" Sans spat back.

"All the timelines of the past have lead up to this! We cannot fail now! Reset after reset, it's all brought us to this moment! Even if you don't remember the past life you lived." The human shouted back, determination flaring behind her eyes. "Back when I fell into the underground all those years ago, I was found by Asriel. The royal family raised me as their own. I died, planning for the monsters to use my soul to free the monsters from the underground so you wouldn't rot down here alone." Her voice turned cold as ice. "But my plan failed. If you think I'm going to give up on hope, you're wrong! The underground will go empty... my death will not be in vain. This is the last chance we have. Frisk has to reset everything, or the underground itself will be so broken we will be unable to make it out alive. It's one last time. We will go back. No one will die. We will make it out. For the sake of monsterkind... we must escape. I have been here for many timelines, and I've seen the outcomes. If we wait for another human to fall with the underground in such an unstable state... all of us will perish. If that time comes... will we still even have the power to reset? I fear that we have a time limit, one crawling dangerously close as we speak."

Flowey quietly added, "I don't want to reset either. But there's no other way. I didn't reset several timelines and put up with all of this for nothing." His petals twitched, and I wondered if he was trying to make a joke.

Sans was silent.

Dr. Gaster nodded to him. He spoke something quietly, something Chara didn't quite catch and was unable to properly translate. Sans seemed to understand. He, too, joined the others. He stood beside Dr. Gaster.

I noticed Papyrus' frustration, and perhaps desperation, grow. "So everything we've built up to is for nothing?" The tall skeleton spoke. While his voice was meant to be heard by all... I noticed he gazed directly at his brother. "Every emotion we've felt, every surge of determination to keep going, every friendship made, every enemy made... you'll turn it all to dust at a threat that has not yet shown itself?"

This time, Undyne spoke up, a fact that both surprised me and disapointed me. "How can you say the threat hasn't shown itself, Papyrus? The Ruins is destroyed. Snowdin- your home- is destroyed."

"Only because all monsters there left it empty! Waterfall, Hotland, the CORE, New Home, all of them are untouched!"

Dr. Gaster shook his head. He signed, and this time, Chara caught it and translated quickly, "He said, 'New Home is breaking'."

"The king is gone, and citizens likely have fled the area to the CORE." The tall skeleton defended.

"What do we have left, then?" Sans asked his brother. "Our king is gone. So many are dead. Do you expect all monsters to try and cling to what little land we have left?"

"Do you want to live with this guilt, Frisk?" Chara asked. "The dust that stains your clothes even still... your LV dangerously high... you believe that you know better. But everytime you kill... the more you distance yourself. You will be judged, Frisk, for everything you've done here."

"Most importantly... think about it." Flowey growled, "If New Home is broken... how do you expect to even reach the barrier to break it?"

Alphys nodded at Flowey's words. "I-It would be safest, this way."

Their words were enough to sway even the Captain of the Royal Guard. With a sigh, she stood near Alphys, as the broken monsters quietly watched on. MK eyed his sister for a moment, before asking, "Why did you try to get us to hurt others?" MK asked.

Papyrus joined him, asking to Flowey, "Why did you tell me to hurt Frisk?"

GK answered first, "Resetting is a difficult task. We figured it easier if more monsters were taken out of the underground completely. We had to risk it and try to convince you, even if not completely true. We needed to ensure that those who no longer exist would have a chance at life again."

"As for why I encouraged you to hurt Frisk all that time ago..." Flowey murmured to Papyrus, "I knew you wouldn't kill her. It's not who you are. Back then, I thought it'd be better if Frisk wasn't close to any monster so I could focus only on convincing her. Chara helped me realize my mistake, though only very recently." He admitted, his petals drooping a little at his failure. "For that, I apologize."

MK moved to stand proudly beside Undyne.

Only me and Papyrus were left, refusing to reset. Papyrus, he stood tall and proud, unswayed in his belief, unwilling to start over once again. He didn't want to go back. Not after everything we've been through. I noticed Sans, too, seemed a little unsure of his decision. Yet, that could be a hopeful thought. Maybe that expression was just general nervousness? It's hard to tell with a skeleton who never stops smiling.

"Brother," Papyrus murmured. "Think of everything all of us have been through! You don't want to go through this again!"

Sans shook his head. "I don't want to see my bro sufferin' either, though." He admitted. "As much as I hate this, we wouldn't be safe in that timeline anymore." His non-existent eyes seemed to land on me, though not in a fully accusing way, at least.

Dr. Gaster seemed like he was about to speak, but content with Sans' answer, he said nothing. A silence filled the room, before Dr. Gaster chose to finally speak.

"Papyrus, I'm surprised." While Dr. Gaster was the one who spoke, Chara translated and offered a soft smile, "Remember, back in Snowdin? You desperately wanted to fix everything, so no one else would have to suffer through what you and other monsters were going through. You wanted to go back. You remember this, don't you? We wish for the same thing. Why do you go back now?"

The skeleton blinked, taking a moment to think of a clear answer. "Back then, I didn't know what the journey would make me feel. Now that I've been through that journey... I couldn't do it again. Before you say that the next timeline will be better than this one, a timeline where Frisk never kills in the first place- that's not what I mean. Of course, I wish what's best for monsters. I want mercy. But can you call this mercy if you're erasing everything we've worked for? Every memory, vanquished in an instant? You say some of us might remember something, though even you seem unsure of this. You say some bonds can never be broken, and while I believe that to be true, what will happen if we remember the feelings, but not the 'why' behind them?"

Chara countered easily, "Papyrus, back in Snowdin you offered mercy to Frisk. You said you knew a way to fix this. Is this not the way to fix this? Is this not the reset button you asked for?"

"I didn't mean to destroy the timeline!" The skeleton snapped back. "I meant mercy to all those who were still alive!"

"Mercy would be letting the monsters live. Mercy would be putting aside this destroyed timeline, and going back before this ever happened." The human's voice was cold.

Papyrus was silent. I didn't know if he didn't answer because he couldn't, or he chose not to. I sent Papyrus a desperate look for help. The tall skeleton quietly leaned down to hug me, a small comfort in my confusion. Upon standing back up, his eyesockets traveled back and forth between me and everyone else. "... Human..." He murmured, the loud skeleton quiet for once. "No matter what option you choose, I will support you. But..." He looked up to meet everyone's gazes. "You must make this decision yourself, Frisk. Choose what you think is right."

As he said this, it felt like my heart dropped and shattered as the weight of the entire timeline balanced on my shoulders. I tried to look into the gazes of the crowd. Though many stood with their friends and family... from the looks the monsters gave... I could now see clearly that this decision might be more of a tie than I thought. Even if the monsters stood separate from us. Broken monsters, grey monsters, and my friends alike seemed... hesitant, now. Papyrus seemed hesitant himself.

Despite where we physically stood...

Few of us knew where we truly stood in this decision. 

I observed the crowd once more. There was Alphys, still wearing a lab coat. Scales grey as stormy clouds, her pupiless eyes gave no hint to what she truly felt. She shivered. Afraid of the choice to come. Her glasses were slightly cracked, but judging by her shaking, I wouldn't be surprised if she caused that by accident.

Nearby, of course, was Undyne. While not donning her armor, she still looked more determined than either human in this 'room'. A glow emitted from somewhere underneath her eyepatch. I now noticed her hair was unkept- though not terrible- likely from the stress she'd gone through during this time. Without much of a battle, she wore few new scars. She seemed sure of her decision, believing that this was the only way to protect her people.

Monster Kid, I realized, had changed a bit. From the journey, he appeared stronger, and I noticed he'd grown. Surely a better fighter, too, put on guard from the threat of a dangerous human. If I reset... how much would the kid change? ... How much would I change? Was this change for the better or worse?

Toriel stood with her children. Her dress cut from battle, and made of glass. Still, she was a powerful monster. A queen, once, and it certainly showed despite her fragile state. Most importantly, though, she was a mother. Not just to her two children, I realized... but also the only mother-like figure I've ever had in the underground. Though it took me a while... I grew to respect her. In her broken state... could she truly raise her children (whether they be Flowey, an already dead human soul, myself, or others considering she acted motherly to several) while the threat of dusting loomed over her?

Sans, I could still see the evidence of make-up from MTT's play, the one where MTT insisted on disguising him and Papyrus as broken monsters. It never quite washed away... and, in the broken lines, I noticed that the cracks reminded me a little of his father. He wore his lab coat under his jacket, a detail I'd forgotten about since it wasn't really all that noticeable when you're distracted thinking of facing the king of monsters. It's hard to tell... but I'm not sure if he wanted the world to reset.

And... Papyrus. Appearance-wise, aside from, too, having evidence of the paint still showing on his bones, making him look a little broken himself, he didn't change much. Still, he wore that... interesting armor of his. Though, I knew, so much had changed. It's hard to tell... but I'm not sure if he fully believed his own argument.

The fallen human held out her hand. "Now... we have reached the absolute. There is nothing left for us here. Let's end this, Frisk. Let us erase this pointless world... and move onto our happy ending."

I've never felt more unsure of my decision in my entire life.

Without an option of my own left, I called out to the voices.

They were my only HOPE left.

ERASE DO NOT

(Your final choice. Choose carefully.  
A) ERASE  
B) DO NOT)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Choose carefully.


	50. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Woooo! Last chapter!

I could feel their gazes resting upon me. Both those physically here- like Papyrus, and those not- like the voices. I, the supposed underground's angel, felt the crushing weight of not just this timeline, but the next, and every timeline that had come before resting carefully upon fragile wings.

Like one wrong move... one wrong word... would cause everything to shatter. I stood still, my breathing steady as my own, brown eyes gazed not back at the abyss, but at the two options that lay before me.

Two buttons.

Both of them glowed a golden fire, enchanting and gorgeous, yet despite this, would either outcome truly be as pretty as this? Floating gently in the nothingness that is this strange place, lights flickering, my eyes themselves seemed to glow as I took in my options. Calling out without a word spoken, my soul itself wished for an answer from the voices that had guided my path even now.

_Do not erase the world._

The first voice spoke. Do not... the corresponding button seemed to glow brighter at this, almost pulling me forward.

But I did not touch it.

Then, the next voice spoke, contradicting the first.

_Erase. They have nothing left here._

More joined in,

_Erase, my friend! Do it!_

_If you erase it, you could free everyone from the underground..._

_but who knows if anyone other than Papyrus can be trusted?_

_This world is broken, there's nothing left to save. The only real choice, Frisk, is if you want to save them. Erase._

_ERASE!_

I took a deep breath in, turning my head to look clearly at the other button. Erase. It glowed like fire, somehow even more beautiful than before as I was guided towards it, each voice seeming to create a wind that grew slowly more powerful with each word, pushing me closer to the decision they'd made. While I knew that the voices didn't all have the same answer to give... in the end, it was clear the answer they gave. And, in turn, I made my choice.

Looking up towards the others, they watched in anticipation, for they knew this decision would change their lives forever. Giving a soft smile, I then looked at Papyrus, and held his hand in my own. For a moment, I thought about apologizing to him, but then, the skeleton nodded, murmuring,

"Don't worry, human. I know that you can make the right choice. Do what you believe is right." Noting my hesitation, the tall skeleton sighed, and knelt down. "Human, this timeline has lead a dangerous path for both of us, but in the end, I have faith that whichever answer you choose will be the one to save us. I, the great Papyrus... believe in you. As do all of us." The skeleton looked up, gazing into the darkness. I knew the voices watched us. We could both feel them there.

We could feel _you_ there.

Giving the monster one last hug, I stood up, and slammed my hand against the button.

ERASE.

Power coursed through my veins as time slowed to a sudden halt. My legs locked in place, my hand pushed itself harder against the button. Erase. Do it. Erase. No going back.

For a moment... it seemed like nothing happened. Like something was stuck. My soul glowed with determination, and finally, my fears were put to rest as things began to slowly turn back. I watched quietly. Slowly, yet surely... and it got faster. Faster. _FASTER._

Unprepared, my head snapped back, and from the force, for a split second I feared it'd break. Vision blurred. World spinning. 

I screamed. 

My hands tightened their grip around the button, not daring to let go. My began body roared with agony. I began crying. Falling to my knees, I held onto the ERASE button for dear life. Screaming. Crying. The pain was greater than I'd ever felt, it ripped me apart like thousands of shards of glass being pushed deeper and deeper into my skin, then being ripped right back out. My screams grew louder, until my lungs ached. I coughed. Blood splattered out, disappearing somewhere in the abyss. Curling my body around the ERASE button, it took every ounce of energy I had to not let go. I didn't dare to let go.

I didn't want to know what would happen if I did.

The world, still spinning, the speed growing more intense with each passing... Oh god, it felt like hours, flinging everything around, pushing and pulling, tearing and crushing, it wasn't long until I found my grip starting to lose itself. Desperately, I stumbled and tried to re-adjust, as blood dripped from my nose, my ears, and my eyes. I gagged until I spat up blood once again. I found that I couldn't stop.

As this continued, my skin began turning paler. Paler. Paler. And the world around, somehow, grew darker. Darker. Darker. A pale, frail body in a realm of darkness. Crushing, eternal darkness. I couldn't breathe.

_I couldn't breathe._

Eyed widened, my lungs wailed as they desperately searched for air where there wasn't any. Tears and blood alike still pouring from my eyes, my mouth was open but no air passed through.

It felt like it went on an eternity. I dared not count seconds. I don't think I could, even if I wanted too. The pain was something that no being should ever feel.

How many hours went by?

How many days?

How many years?

I knew it didn't take this long.

It couldn't. I'd be dead.

Though the pain coursing through my blood and into my head began to convince me that something was seriously wrong. It wasn't stopping. It's never going to stop, is it?

**SNAP.**

I opened my mouth to emit yet another an agonized wail, but I could not hear the sound it made. I wondered silently when I'd die. I was so close. So close to death. I begged for death, or at least for an end to this. I'd take anything. Anything to end this pain. Where do we go when we die? I don't know. My arms and legs both lost grip on the button I held onto so tightly for what felt like so long, flinging myself at what felt like faster than the speed of sound.

The button itself was broken. It dissolved like wind guiding flames to rest.

My body fell.

A bird shot down from her flight, I fell. I could see light in the distance. It ran further and further away the further I went.

As everything went black, my eyes turned a deep red, and my soul itself cried out- one final cry of determination as it felt my veins would burst. I stopped falling.

\---  
A beam of light shone down on the girl. It bathed her in a warm, sun-like glow. Her pale skin had faded back to it's normal colour. Her chest slowly rose up and down. Silver-grey flowers hugged her sides. An impossible fall, her determination let her live. Despite this, fear still consumed her body, and her eyelids fluttered yet would not open. She was supposed to be dead. Why wasn't she dead? How was she still alive? All the scars, the broken bones, the bloodloss, her energy leaving her, everything the girl had lost and thought was gone forever from her time spent erasing the world was now healed. Still, though, every half-healed wound that came before still remained. She did not keep her jacket, however, and her clothes were now the same as when they first came to the underground. Ripped. But less ripped.

Was it always this painful, every time she reset? Though she could not remember ever resetting before, she knew that it wasn't nearly ever that painful.

Something was wrong.

Welcome back to the underground.

Her muscles twitched, urging her to get up. She groaned, moving her head softly. It was over, she breathed.

It's over.

No more erasing. No more resets. No going back.

Now, it's time to save.  
\---  
Falling back into an abyss, though this time one of rest, everything fell back to black. As I slept, I heard a voice, calling out to me in a desperate yet determined cry. Opening my eyes, her skin was pale as the moon, her body broken into pieces, relatively unchanged from how she appeared to me before. Her eyes were darker than the night, with a glowing surge of red determination pouring into light. Dark liquid still fell down her cheeks. Her ragged clothes she wore at death, though, were changed. Her clothing, too, was made of glass. Strangely, though, this seemed not at all uncomfortable for her- it moved along with her every movement, the parts sliding back and forth with perfect timing. How did her clothes become this? Was it born of the curse itself?

“Frisk!” Her voice was a bit fuzzy, and I couldn’t help but try to lean forward to hear her better. “Stay determined!” Her voice was clearer now. Stay determined. She stepped forward. “You are the future of humans and monsters.” The broken-glass human held out her hand. It was rather translucent- I could see it, but it was nearly see-through at the same time. Fitting for a ghost, I guess. I took her hand. “Just as I once was.” She blinked, looking to the side. “You will not fail like I once had. You will free the monsters. Stay determined.” She repeated. “Please… wake up.”

As if on cue, my eyes shot open taking in the light pouring into the tunnel. My eyelids quickly slammed back down and my face scrunched up, unprepared for such a bright light all at once. Rolling to the side, I took in a breath, and slowly opened my eyes once again with a sigh.

Limbs shaky, my arm shot out, hands gripping tightly onto a rock jutting out from the side of this hole I’d fallen into. Pulling my body up, I stumbled, taking in a deep breath to confirm that I was, truly, alive. My body felt sore, but still, I stepped, one foot after another. Get out of this room. Save the monsters. Spare them from death.

Still, the fear gripping my chest would not leave. What happened? Was this why Flowey had been unable to reset? Perhaps his small, flower body prevented him from resetting back this far. I’d have to ask him. Ask him in a friendly chat.

My mind ached, trying desperately to remember everything that happened during the reset. Though part of me begged myself to forget, I knew I couldn’t. Something was wrong. Something happened.

Still though… the voices knew what they were doing, right? I had to keep going. For them. For monsters.

For myself, even.

I remembered the burning glow of the button that beckoned to destroy the timeline that had come before. Or, at the time, the current timeline. I remembered Papyrus. I remembered so many people watching. Waiting. Waiting to see what would become of them.

What happens if you reset in that place? A place not inside the current timeline, but somewhere else, somewhere looking in? A place where nothingness prevails?

Maybe this is why I still held the scars I’d gained during my time underground from the last reset.

I remembered the pull of the button. How my legs locked in place, determined to not fail. How I held on for dear life.

How the button broke.

The ERASE button broke.

What did that mean? I could think of two options. One, the ERASE button could never be used again. That, I was fine with. I didn’t want to do that again. The monsters deserve freedom. This time, I vowed not to fail. The second option was much less pretty. The possibility that something wasn’t right. That the reset hadn’t perfectly set things back in order.

I found myself reaching for the scars on my back. I shivered as I feared that both may be true.

Though the exit to this room beckoned me forward, I couldn’t bring myself to follow. Seating myself back onto the silver-gray flowers, I pulled my legs close to myself and hugged them, silent. My hands found their way once more to the walls of the cave. Cracked, yet somehow stronger than ever. I noted, too, that the flowers had changed colour. They used to be golden, like Flowey.

The memories of the gray monsters flooded back into my mind, and I lowered my head.

I lowered my hands back to my body, reaching for my soul. It’s colour, it’s determination… it withered like a dying flower. While still red, it’s colour seemed like it was faded, then mixed with black or grey. Scars covered it in a horrifyingly recognizable pattern. My soul was broken. Like all the brokenness of the underground had found it’s way to me. The curse had found it’s way to me, though this time, I wasn’t just spreading the curse. Now, my soul was weak, fragile.

I didn’t feel determined.

Still, though, I was alive. I was not like the broken human I saw in the nothingness. I was still me, not a single pane of glass in my body. Not the ghost, broken and shattered beyond repair. Despite everything... still me.

I began to think about what she told me as I slept. Had that truly been real? I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. I should get going.

Looking around, all I found was a stick. I sighed. Even now, I wished for a gun. Though, this time, it wasn’t because I wanted to kill monsters. Now, it was because I was scared.

What had happened to this place?

Despite my ever-growing sense of unease and dread, I knew I had to go forward. As I stood, I scolded myself. I should've known that getting a happy ending after everything wouldn't be this easy.

I knew I deserved this.

Halting my pace at the door frame that lead to the Ruins, I carefully stuck my head out. A small beam of sunlight shown down onto a familiar patch of grass below. A single, silver-gray flower bloomed, his eyes looking up to meet mine. A small, though perhaps unsure smile crept it's way onto his face.

"Howdy."

I didn't have to question it, it was clear from his expression that Flowey knew exactly who I was. Therefore, conveniently skipping introductions, I managed to get quickly to the point. "What happened here?" I asked simply. It was a fairly vague question, asked in hopes that he'd explain everything. Then, I added, "Does this always happen?"

Flowey didn't need to ask for clarification. Fully knowing what I meant, the flower's petals shivered a moment, taking in the sunlight that didn't reach the rest of the underground. "In all honesty, I'm not quite sure everything that happened during the reset... but I know enough to realize that things didn't quite reset normally."

"Well, shit, thanks sherlock, didn't figure that out already." I grumbled. The weed seemed slightly confused by the phrase, but he was smart enough to decide that I wasn't exactly impressed.

"Tell me what happened while you reset. That'll help me figure out what happened to this place." The silver-grey flower tilted his head, seeming rather alright with the fact that his petals were no longer gold. Then again, considering how many golden flowers I saw in the underground... I'm sure seeing them reset after reset would surely get tiring. Maybe the weed liked the change.

"... Do resets always hurt?" I asked slowly. "They don't, do they? At least, surely not as much as how I felt. It felt like I was being ripped apart." My voice wavered, but I forced myself to continue. "It felt like I was there for an eternity. I couldn't breathe, everything was moving, and-"

I stopped, upon realizing that Flowey seemed scared. He shook his head. "Resets aren't exactly a pleasant ride sometimes... but nothing quite like you described! ... Maybe that's why I couldn't reset myself? I tried. Several times, I tried. I never got past slowing time to a halt before I ran out of energy and gave up." The flower frowned. "I guess I was right. Only a determined human like you could've done that."

Shifting my feet, I looked around. "Your... petals. The flowers in the room, the walls... things are different here." I began. "Why?"

The prince lowered his head, seeming unsure himself. "The reset, as you know, didn't quite put everything back in order the way it should've. The monsters... the world... it's different. The curse has spread itself."

The news felt like a stab in the heart, and I stumbled. Noticing my panic and despair, the prince quickly added, "Don't worry. Despite this, it's more... controlled, now? The monsters are stronger. Just like they used to be before death. Perhaps... even stronger than they used to be? Either way, none seem concerned. They don't look like they're gonna die anytime soon. Not even the Froggits and Whimsuns."

Calming down, though only slightly, I asked him to continue.

"Well, it seems like this 'new' timeline has at least mostly overridden the memories of the old. As in, most monsters don't realize anything's different. They don't remember a time where things were different." The flower glanced behind him, maybe looking for his mother. "For those of us who were in the void, though... well, I'm not sure if all of us remember everything, or even if some of us remember anything at all, but... I think that some part of them will remember something at least."

"What's changed, then? Who remembers what?"

The flower used his monochrome vines to shrug. "Maybe you should figure that out for yourself. I hate to say it, but I haven't had much time to explore this timeline all that much yet." Hearing footsteps approaching, the flower looked up at me, "I wish you luck, and must bid you farewell for now. Farewell!" The prince bowed, then retreated back beneath the soil.

I wasn't sure what to think. What to feel. Was this a good thing? A bad thing? What would become of them? Of me? Of the entire underground? Was the surface different?

... Honestly, I'm not sure if I cared exactly what the surface was like. As long as the monsters and I could find a place to live somewhere up there, that's all I really cared about.

Finally, Toriel stepped into the light. Steps were taken gently, and she seemed to light up under the glow of sunlight. For a moment, I couldn't help but just look silently. She was beautiful, and strong. A living, stained glass artwork. Her flames, too, were made out of glass, and they rested in the palm of her hand, every now and then dancing around her. She looked like a queen.

She wore a dress. Like her daughter's clothing, it seemed to be a part of her, moving carefully along with her and never once seeming like it'd be an inconvenience to her.

There was something else I noticed. Unlike her daughter, the way her glass body broke was much different than the timeline before. It now seemed more... controlled. Purposeful, almost. It didn't seem like a brutal curse, it felt like she walked out of a stained glass window.

"Do not be afraid, my child." Her voice was soothing and kind, and she knelt down in front of me to speak. "I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins." She seemed to study my expression, that had turned a bit disappointed as I figured she likely didn't remember me. She was silent a moment, perhaps deciding something, before speaking again. "Are you alright, my child?"

I nodded, "I'm alright."

With a smile, she stood back up. "Poor dear... you must be in shock, aren't you?" She murmured after studying my rather blank expression once again. I guess she assumed I was in shock. Of course, that'd make sense... one wouldn't naturally assume that I knew them already, however much the thought pained me. "Let me guide you through the catacombs to my home. I'll keep you safe."

She lead me through the Ruins. I held her hand. Cracks ran rampant across the halls, with only darkness seeping through as if it lead to the void itself. She walked ahead of me the whole time, with me silently following behind. I found the first monster I killed, a lone Froggit. After a brief encounter, Toriel urged it away and it was over with. Would I ever see that Froggit again? I watched the other monsters as I passed. Glass. All of them glass.

Yet, like Toriel, their glass too looked much more... purposeful.

Why did Chara's body remain mostly unchanged?

I stared at my own soul for a moment before Toriel urged me onwards. Something told me humans weren't meant to be broken like that.

No one, monster nor human, were meant to be broken like that, though.

I completed every puzzle with ease. I remembered it surprisingly well, and Toriel bothered not to teach me. As if she knew that I could do it. Did she know something after all?

We walked along every path. I didn't bother to pick up the toy knife, and I cared not for the faded ribbon. Only once more did we stop during this time. I stopped, and listened. I realized I only heard the voices after the underground started breaking so much. Could I still hear them now? I waited. While there was no audible response... I didn't need one. I could feel them there. I could feel you there. Content, I quickly ran ahead to catch up with Toriel. With... would it be weird to call her 'mom'? She is the closest thing I've had to a mother figure in a while. That, and I certainly respect her quite a bit. I decided not to say a word for now.

Finally, we got back to the house. We both sat down at the table by the fire, as if we both knew what was coming. I would be leaving soon. A silence passed, neither of us knowing exactly what to say.

Toriel was the first to speak. "I won't keep you here, child." She murmured. I was a bit startled- I hadn't expected that at all. Last time she fought so hard to keep me down here. Why did that change now? "... I may not remember much. I may not remember anything at all. But I know there's someone out there that you must find." Her voice was calm and quiet, perhaps a bit bittersweet in her tone as well... if that was how you'd describe it. She smiled, "You two share a bond that cannot be broken, no matter the world. Not even the curse will stop that." Getting up from her seat, I followed suite as we walked into the kitchen. Kneeling down, the monster- no, my mother held me close. "Be safe, will you not, my child? ... Please, child, show mercy towards those who attack you. In the end, all of us will thank you. Promise me, will you not?"

I nodded, a flare of suppressed determination flickering to life briefly in my eyes. "I will do my best."

Standing up, she grabbed a slice of pie and placed it into a small container. She held out a small, dark bag, too, attached to a dark belt. Now it would actually be comfortable to carry literally anything. Sliding the container into the bag, she handed it to me. I quickly put it on. It looked a bit strange- it was definitely made by her in a rush. But it was certainly useful.

"Thank you." She nodded, "Now go. I will not stop you."

Turning to leave, I hesitated, before quickly giving her a small hug. Then, I raced off, leaping down the stairs as if I didn't even know how stairs worked. Once making my way to the door, I threw them open, letting the gust of wind hit me in the face. Snowdin.

I didn't even care about the cold, I simply trotted closer to the gate, awaiting the next monster I'd find.

\---

It was late at night. Er, early morning actually. Well, it would be for the surface, and many monsters were asleep at this time anyways, but Papyrus wasn't. While this alone wasn't at all unusual, some may consider it strange to visit the garbage dump at a time like this. The skeleton moved quietly, unlike his usual, loud entrance to many places. Carefully making his way through, water piled up near his red boots, soaking them but not quite going through to the bone hiding underneath. His gloves were longer, though ripped at the end. His armor was... sharper. Darker. Less cartoon-y than it was before. Serious. His excuse had merely been, "It looks cooler", which had seemed to be enough to convince his brother that nothing was out of the ordinary.

He had a reason, though. He was a very different skeleton that he was when that first timeline began. He always thought he'd miss his battle body should he have to leave it behind- but he didn't. He knew he'd be able to protect both himself and the human easier this way, while the armor still was simple enough to remain at least a little like his old one.

There was something else different, too.

His bones were untouched. Not a pane of glass on him. He'd been this way his entire life.

It was a rare sight to behold in the underground, and no one knew the cause. He, his brother, and Undyne all weren't broken, and they'd bonded over that similarity. Alphys wasn't either (though Papyrus didn't know her well in person), of course along with some other monsters that he didn't know as well either. He also knew that, while he'd never actually seen what the Riverperson actually looked like, some said the Riverperson was unbroken as well.

The only notable, slightly-broken thing about his bones was the fact that he had a scar running from the top of one eyesocket, all the way across the top of his skull and finally ending half-way down his neck. The wound stopped abruptly there, and wrapped around the bone.

He preferred not to make this fact obvious. While Undyne was just fine with her less-physical body (which is kinda funny to say, considering she's still stronger than most monsters in the underground, just with less glass and more magic), Papyrus knew first-hand that many of the few "untouched" monsters, those who'd somehow escaped the curse, preferred to not mention it much.

Yes, truly, no one knew the cause.

Yet Papyrus could guess.

A memory bloomed in his mind. The reason he was here now. For someone he once knew. Or, well, I guess he never met her in this timeline. Not yet.

A jacket. It lay atop a pile of other clothes. It was dark and small, with white circles by the shoulders. Papyrus picked it up, and placed it in his armor for safekeeping. Where there once was something else.

In that timeline, Papyrus remembered, his dear friend had given him something. For some sort of human holiday that was rather similar to one they had in Snowdin, yet still quite a bit different. An apron.

Papyrus hated Hotland. That was his next destination.

It didn't take him long to get there. There was little traffic for most of the morning, and no one stopped to ask what he was doing. They'd likely presume he was doing what he often did- he'd jog and/or patrol, since there was not much else to do when you're a monster who doesn't require nearly as much sleep as most others, especially his brother.

Another memory bloomed. He sat side-by-side with this friend, late into the night. Neither slept well that night. Papyrus didn't remember if he slept at all. They were in the king's castle. No, directly in his house. He wasn't there with them.

Again, a memory bloomed.

Papyrus shivered, despite the heat.

The king, himself, was the most broken of all. Not just that, there was something different about him. His armour held a more monochrome colour, perhaps matching the flowers he grew in his garden. His mane was black as the void. His eyes were...

empty.

Like he knew something no one else knew.

Despite this, 'King Fluffybuns' was quite the friendly, cheerful fellow. He often wandered his cursed kingdom. The weight of his sins held heavy on his shoulders.

Lost in his thoughts, the skeleton hardly realized where he was going, and for once his non-existent stomach didn't feel as queasy as it often did here. He picked up the apron from the ground. Taking off his scarf, he wrapped the apron around his neck instead. In the wind, it flowed behind him. A faded symbol of a heart was the only notable thing about the scarf if you didn't know the reason he searched for it to begin with.

Not wishing to leave his red scarf behind, he played around with it until he made a hood for himself. The skeleton, pleased, began to head home. Before he did, he halted his pace. There was something watching him, he knew that they were there sometime after he left the house. He smiled, and continued on, a bit more relaxed. He wasn't at all afraid. They'd watched him before, in another timeline. He welcomed their presence without a need for a word.

It was getting closer to morning. He'd be late getting home to Snowdin- he'd have to meet the human later. Hopefully the human slept in, at least.

As he wandered closer and closer to his destination, memories grew louder in his mind, until they became an ocean crashing and spinning within his skull, threatening to escape.

He wanted to scream. Maybe cry. Let the memories flow out before they caused a deadly tsunami within his mind. But he couldn't. Unknowing if any other monster held the memories he had, he knew he wouldn't tell a soul.

Not yet.

He headed closer to his destination.  
\---

Snow crunching beneath my feet, the wind gently flew past me, tugging at my hair behind me. Noting that many of the lights of the underground were turned off (hey, they had to replicate a day/night cycle somehow), I halted my pace upon reaching the gates. I was tempted to go through- though I figured I should probably at least wait for Sans, as he seemed quite amused with his little prank back then.

No one came.

I paused, trying to figure out why that was. It didn't take long for me to realize. I didn't stop at Toriel's house to take a nap, so it was probably still nighttime, wasn't it? That would explain how dark it was. Too excited to be tired, I figured that Papyrus would probably be up anyways, and if he wasn't, well, morning wasn't far off. I could wait.

Though, as I continued, I found myself unwilling to get to Snowdin without seeing either of the brothers on the way. Looking back, I quite liked their little antics, even if I didn't quite show it back then. So, I walked slowly, quietly observing the land.

Too, this land was broken. You couldn't feel it much under the snow, but the walls of the cave shifted and the ice broke apart, yet still strong enough to hold your weight if you jumped from one shard of ice- or was that glass? To the next.

Figuring that I should at least take a nap before continuing (after all, I remembered how tiring Snowdin Forest could be), I found myself backtracking back to the sentry post where I first saw Papyrus. Jumping through to get behind the little counter, I found several packets of ketchup, mustard, and hotdogs. Knowing that monster food couldn't expire, I quietly stole some hotdogs without much of a thought, and soon went to sleep, just for a quick nap.

Upon waking, it was closer to morning. Surely the brothers would be starting their patrol by now. Stretching, I let out a tired whine before standing up, rubbing snow off my skin with a shiver.

"Heya."

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Screaming, I whirled around, nearly punching the skeleton in the teeth. Expecting it, he effortlessly moved out of the way. "Mornin'." He chuckled. The skeleton showed scars of a brutal crack in his skull- it ran from his eyesocket to his unending grin. He wore his lab coat underneath his hoodie, just like how he did for most of the last timeline. This time, his jacket was black as the void, yet looked rather comfy and soft. The inside of this hoodie was white as snow, and looked extremely fluffy. It stood out compared to the sharpened edges of the glass that seemed ever-present.

I seemed to have forgotten how annoying the smiley trashbag was. Though, I couldn't help but wonder- did he remember me? I wasn't sure how to bring up the subject, so a silence passed between the two of us. Eventually, I found my gaze shifting to further into the forest. Where was Papyrus? Surely he should be here soon.

Sans held out his hand, perhaps trying to ease the tension, as neither of us knew what to say to the other. This was much different from last timeline, after all. Reluctantly, I took it. As expected, a whoopie cushion emitted it's signature sound. Clearly finding this amusing, Sans' face seemed to light up. I chuckled, but couldn't manage much else. Hey, it was improvement over my reaction- er, lack of one- from the last timeline.

"I'm Sans. Sans the skeleton. I'm probably s'posed to be on sentry duty, but, uh, I don't really care about capturin' anybody."

He doesn't remember me, does-

"But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Ah. Nevermind.

Despite myself, I couldn't help but smile. I'm sure the skeleton would've smiled back if he weren't always smiling anyways.

"Heh. Yup." I shrugged, as I casually stealing another hotdog like it was no big deal and shoving it into my mouth. "What's up, smiley trashbag?"

"The stalactite." The short skeleton deadpanned, pointing towards the top of the cave. Icicle-shaped structures hung down, the cave's sharpened teeth.

Though unfamiliar with the term, I could guess what he meant. I couldn't help but laugh, not fully expecting to hear a monster's equivalent to the normal 'the sky' reply. Looking up, my smile faded for a moment as I looked back at the shorter skeleton. "Where's...?"

Sans shrugged. "Just keep goin', he's gonna be late anyways." He spoke a bit dismissively, encouraging me to continue. I nodded, and began to walk away, but then he spoke again. "Hey, kid?"

"Hm?" I didn't bother to turn around, too focused on finding Papyrus.

Sans paused, trying to think of what to say. Eventually, he settled with, "Thanks, kid." I could tell- he was talking about what happened in the void. "But... can ya promise me something, before ya leave?"

"Maybe?"

"... Don't make resetting a habit, ok? ... We can't do this again. Promise?"

I don't like making promises. Something tells me Sans doesn't like making them, either. Still, though... I knew that I didn't want to reset again. Never again. I think I wished that even more than he did. So, quietly, I murmured,

"I promise."

I turned around, but he was no longer there. I decided to venture further into the forest.

The forest seemed so much different without the duo of skeletons' silly antics constantly distracting from any goal I might've had at that point in the previous timeline. It felt... unsettling. Wind gently pushed the trees to dance, branches reaching out like claws to just barely miss my skin. The snow groaned as I passed. Shadows settled on the ground, their eyes watching from deeper within the forest. Cameras quietly tilted their heads to watch with glowing eyes.

Oddly enough, it was most comforting when I encountered enemies. I passed by quietly, trying to avoid conflict. However, conflict would often find me anyways. It was strange, avoiding a fight and specifically trying to spare them. Though, there were a few that I had to hit a few times in order for them to give up. Even then... it felt better. I was happy to see them leave to live another day.

The more I faces I passed, the more monsters I spared... the happier I felt. For a moment, it felt like my worries were gone. As if everything was fine.

As if I never killed anyone at all.

My gaze landed on a familiar face.

I halted my pace.

A bird-like monster, who seemed to be made of ice and glass itself. He laughed with his friends, making bad puns and fluttering around, his feather-like shards flapping around in the wind.

Memories crashed into my mind, a tidal wave of regret.

I remembered killing him. Like I killed so many others. I remembered his father. I remembered everything he said.

I quickly retreated into the forest before they saw me. Finding a collapsed tree, I quietly sat down behind it, shadows consuming me until I was out of sight. My breathing quickened. The weight of my sins pressed down on my back, harder and harder. It tore through the supposed 'angel wings' said to be on my back.

As if I was some sort of savior.

I was there for a while. Probably around 30 minutes. Eventually, a friend of Snowdrake found me, so I left before a fight begun. I needed to find Papyrus.

More than anything else, I needed to find Papyrus. I couldn't do this alone.

I found myself much quieter throughout the rest of the journey. While still sparing monsters, I managed to avoid most fights by merely not making myself known, or making it clear through body language and looks that I didn't want to be approached.

Finally, I made it to the town. Along the way, I wondered about everyone else, noting that Sans had not bothered to make an appearance afterwards. Sans seemed to remember, at the very least, enough to understand the situation. Toriel seemed to remember that, if nothing else, I was here before and had someone to find. What would the others remember?

How much would Papyrus remember me?

My mind drifted further. Would Undyne still try to kill me if I didn't kill anyone this timeline? What would Alphys be like? Would I see Aaron again? Where was he?

After further thought, I figured Aaron was probably the same as always, and I probably shouldn't investigate any further than that, knowing him.

"Yo, are you alright?" A kid's voice startled me, "You looked like you were totally spacing out!"

Realizing I was simply standing near the entrance of the town, near the sign that read the town's welcome, I shifted slightly, looking at MK. He didn't seem to remember me at all, I could tell by his expression.

I decided it was better for him if he remembered nothing.

He was just a kid. He didn't need to remember everything he went through in the last timeline.

Yet, maybe he remembered something. After all, while he wasn't broken (the first monster I'd seen unbroken aside from Sans), his scales seemed much less saturated, leaning towards an almost grey, lifeless appearance. His clothing matched. Though, he wasn't nearly as gray and dead as his sister appeared, and his eyes, while the iris was now devoid of colour, at least they weren't pitch-black voids like the Gaster followers.

It was almost like... part of him fought back. Did he even realize this fact?

"Uh... you ok?" The child repeated.

"Y-Yeah." I muttered. "Who are you?" I asked, unsure how to ask if he remembered anything.

"Oh! I'm Monster Kid! But you can call me MK! Who are you? You're a kid too, right? I can tell by the stripes you're wearing!"

He was... very different. At first this surprised me, but then I realized that he was no longer surrounded by the loss of so many other monsters. He was just a child.

He didn't remember a thing.

I was happy. Just for a moment. Though the weight of my sins pulled any increase in mood right back down.

"Not really a kid... but not an adult." I answered. "And I'm Frisk. Nice to meet you MK." I almost held out a hand, but then flinched. Right. He didn't have arms.

Thankfully, he laughed an innocent laugh. "Yo, I can't exactly shake hands, haha! Hey, are you heading to Waterfall? I'm gonna sneak out there later. Not yet though, still pretty early. I got up earlier than I normally do!" Despite this, he seemed full of energy, hardly tired.

"Maybe later." I murmured. "Still getting used to Snowdin first, I think." I almost continued, but stopped.

"Oh, ok! I think I'm gonna go get some food. Want to come with me?" The young monster whirled around, excited at the thought of food. Actually, he seemed excited with... anything.

I realized I hadn't eaten, but I decided against following with a shake of my head.

"See ya later!" Waving his tail for a moment, the kid hopped away, heading towards the shop.

I passed by the decorated tree, gifts littered all around. Remembering the gift I gave to Papyrus in Hotland, it seemed so long ago. I kept going.

Towards the fog. 

The oh-so familiar fog. It seemed to glare back at me, reminding me of everything I'd done, and how it trapped me. Though, if not for this... would I have ever been able to get this second chance? The wind beckoned me closer as my vision began to blur.

The fog crept closer, enveloping more and more of my vision as the wind picked up, now urging me forward, whispering that it was too late to go back now. The snow wrapped around my feet, and I could hear the groan of ice shift and the strange sound of glass hitting glass.

It seemed endless. The cold enveloped me like a heavy blanket, the wind pulling at my hair and the snow like shackles around my feet. One step in front of the other, I moved. My head was lowered, hair hanging down with the wind still tugging, forcing me to keep moving. My arms wrapped around themselves, desperate for warmth. My breathe was visible, even despite the fog. I watched each breath fade into the fog, following it with my eyes.

There was a shape in the fog. A tall, dark silhouette.

Papyrus.

He wore the gift I gave him that timeline like a cape, his scarf now a hood over his head. His armour looked so much more... official. Protecting.

He held the small jacket I wore for most of the past timeline in his gloves. Silently, he placed the jacket over my shoulders, and I put my arms through the holes. It didn't help the cold much. Holding out one gloved hand, I held out a smaller hand in turn.

Everything was silent.

But we didn't need to say a thing.

Silent, both of us wore smiles as we walked quietly back to the shed, out of the snow. We sat against the wall, silent, side-by-side. We'd talk soon. Not yet.

After all, while there was so much to talk about... both of us knew just by looking at the other that everything was going to be ok. For the other's sake, we'd do anything to protect them.

As we sat, I noticed something. Papyrus, unlike many other monsters, wasn't broken. Not a pane of glass in his body. And despite everything he'd seen in the past timeline, his eyesockets seemed to glow, full of kindness, love, warmth. He didn't just avoid the curse- he was the opposite of everything it was. I wished I could be just like him.

And, as I realized this, I noticed something about me, too.

My soul, which was clearly broken and almost lifeless when I first fell... now began to flow once more with determination, and all the scars had begun to fade away into nothing.

Maybe... things that are broken can truly be fixed after all.

I looked to Papyrus. I felt the voices- I felt you with us, too. I knew it, then and there. I think part of me knew it long before this. With everyone by my side, I knew we could do it.

One day.

And, maybe, that one day...

We could put our brokenness aside... and be free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that...
> 
> BrokenTale's main story has finally come to an end.
> 
> It's been quite the journey, and it's almost hard to believe that the main story is done. I will be continuing BrokenTale in some way. Likely not another full story, but I'll likely be making more art/comics on my DA!
> 
> (https://hummingkitten.deviantart.com/art/BrokenTale-Chapter-50-The-End-718105238)  
> (Keep an eye on my journals there, I'll be moving accounts soon!)
> 
> Thank you guys so much for sticking with the story ;; If you liked it, please comment and/or fav! If there's something you want me to draw/write regarding the series, please suggest it! I really hope you guys liked this ending >w<
> 
> ((To make it clear, in the new timeline, the curse can be affected. Not by LOVE... but by love. Love can reverse the affects of the timeline. That's Frisk's goal now. Then, when the curse is broken, she might break the barrier for good.
> 
> As for why certain monsters are broken and not, like Toriel and Undyne for example, well, Toriel's still broken because part of her remembers seeing what happened to Chara and Flowey/Asriel, and she's still bitter because of Asgore's actions and the uncertainty of the reset. She's 'incomplete' in a sense, so the curse breaks her even further.  
> In comparison, Undyne is not broken, because... well, basically she doesn't let herself be broken. Her love for protecting the citizens of the underground and her determination protected her from the curse. She's the underground's 'true hero' as Captain of the Royal Guard- she needs to be strong, for them, so she avoided the curse.  
> No one truly knows if the Riverperson is broken or not. Not even the king himself. Why? Who knows.  
> If you have any question about this, feel free to ask! <3))
> 
> I decided to go with this ending, since the timeline just going back to a normal 'Undertale' timeline instead of a 'BrokenTale-esque' timeline felt too easy and predictable. It'd no longer be 'BrokenTale', should that've been the case.
> 
> Hope you guys liked it <3


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